Opener Lab
RAISE vs SLANE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,360 answers. Exact misses rank first; average guesses among wins break ties.
The same solver played from both openers. SLANE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.50 for RAISE.
Looking only at the opening row, RAISE has higher entropy (5.88 bits versus 5.77). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,876 past Wordle answers, RAISE left the smaller first-guess group on 51% of dates; SLANE did so on 48%, with the rest tied.
One thing RAISE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 173 possible answers, while SLANE can be left staring at 235.
| Metric | RAISE | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 97.4% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.88 bits | 5.77 bits |
| Avg remaining | 62 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.50 | 3.46 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier (first turn only) | S | A |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,876 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, RAISE left an average of 62 candidates and SLANE an average of 75.
The most recent test was Wordle #1875 on August 7, 2026, when the answer was FEIGN. RAISE came back ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟨 and kept 15 words in play. SLANE came back ⬛⬛⬛🟨🟨 and kept 65 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | RAISE | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0% |
| At least one green | 43.7% | 46.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 92.7% | 90.0% |
| Whole row gray | 7.3% | 10.0% |
| Worst case answers left | 173 | 235 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with RAISE: it happens 7.3% of the time, against 10.0% for SLANE.
SLANE is not on the possible-answer list, so it cannot solve the game on turn one here. It can still be a useful guess.
Planning the second guess
After RAISE
All five letters miss 7.3% of the time, leaving 173 words in play. Of the 673 follow-ups checked here, COULD leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.8).
After SLANE
All five letters miss 10.0% of the time, leaving 235 words in play. Of the 735 follow-ups checked here, COURT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.2).
How these two openers fit together
RAISE and SLANE share 3 letters (A, E, S). Played as a pair they cover 7 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, RAISE then SLANE earns 7.84 bits of information in total, 1.96 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- RAISE: Answer to Wordle #1035 on April 19, 2024. SLANE would have come back 🟨⬛🟨⬛🟩 that day, leaving 16 possible answers.
- SLANE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: RAISE or SLANE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, SLANE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.50 for RAISE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for RAISE vs SLANE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. RAISE records 5.88 bits and SLANE records 5.77 bits. RAISE has the higher score, so its feedback distribution separates the possible answers more effectively on average. Entropy describes the opening row; it does not by itself predict how many guesses a game will take.
- How do RAISE and SLANE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,876 past Wordle answers, RAISE left fewer possible answers than SLANE on 51% of days, SLANE did better on 48%, and the rest were ties. On average, RAISE left 62 candidates after the first guess and SLANE left 75.