Opener Lab
REAST vs SLANE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,358 answers. Exact misses rank first; average guesses among wins break ties.
The six-turn results are effectively tied: when the same solver plays from each word, REAST averages 3.47 guesses and SLANE averages 3.46 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, REAST has higher entropy (5.86 bits versus 5.77). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, REAST left the smaller first-guess group on 55% of dates; SLANE did so on 45%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | REAST | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.9% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.86 bits | 5.77 bits |
| Avg remaining | 73 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 3.46 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | S | A |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,858 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, REAST left an average of 73 candidates and SLANE an average of 75.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. REAST came back 🟨🟨⬛⬛⬛ and kept 124 words in play. SLANE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 178 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | REAST | SLANE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0% |
| At least one green | 36.9% | 46.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 90.1% | 90.0% |
| Whole row gray | 9.9% | 10.0% |
| Worst case answers left | 234 | 235 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
Both openers come back completely gray at almost the same rate, so the difference between them lies in how much their hits actually tell you.
Neither word is on the possible-answer list, so neither can solve the game on turn one here. Both can still be useful guesses.
Planning the second guess
After REAST
All five letters miss 9.9% of the time, leaving 234 words in play. Of the 734 follow-ups checked here, COULD leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
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
REAST 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, REAST then SLANE earns 7.94 bits of information in total, 2.08 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- REAST: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLANE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: REAST or SLANE?
- REAST and SLANE are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for REAST vs SLANE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. REAST records 5.86 bits and SLANE records 5.77 bits. REAST 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 REAST and SLANE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, REAST left fewer possible answers than SLANE on 55% of days, SLANE did better on 45%, and the rest were ties. On average, REAST left 73 candidates after the first guess and SLANE left 75.