Opener Lab
RATEL vs SLART
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
These game-length figures come from the previous complete opener benchmark against its 2,354-answer snapshot, ranked by average guesses among games solved within six. Its answer snapshot and continuation policy are separate from today's solver recommendations.
The same solver played from both openers. SLART has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.55 guesses to 3.58 for RATEL.
Looking only at the opening row, RATEL has higher entropy (5.73 bits versus 5.63). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
One thing RATEL does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 204 possible answers, while SLART can be left staring at 252.
| Metric | RATEL | SLART |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 97.0% | 96.3% |
| Information | 5.73 bits | 5.63 bits |
| Avg remaining | 72 words | 88 words |
| Avg turns | 3.58 | 3.55 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | A | A |
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | RATEL | SLART |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0% |
| At least one green | 33.7% | 40.8% |
| Any green or yellow | 91.4% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 8.6% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 204 | 252 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with RATEL: it happens 8.6% of the time, against 10.7% for SLART.
Neither word is on the possible-answer list, so neither can solve the game on turn one here. Both can still be useful guesses.
How these two openers fit together
RATEL and SLART share 4 of their 5 letters (A, L, R, T), so as a pair they only cover 6 distinct letters. Treat them as alternatives rather than partners, because playing both wastes most of the second guess.
Played back to back, RATEL then SLART earns 7.40 bits of information in total, 1.68 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- RATEL: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLART: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.