Opener Lab
REAST vs SLANT
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 same solver played from both openers. SLANT has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.45 guesses to 3.47 for REAST.
Looking only at the opening row, REAST has higher entropy (5.86 bits versus 5.49). 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 59% of dates; SLANT did so on 40%, with the rest tied.
One thing REAST does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 234 possible answers, while SLANT can be left staring at 326.
| Metric | REAST | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.9% | 95.7% |
| Information | 5.86 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 73 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 3.45 |
| 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 SLANT an average of 101.
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. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 326 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | REAST | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 36.9% | 41.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 90.1% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 9.9% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 234 | 326 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with REAST: it happens 9.9% of the time, against 13.8% for SLANT.
REAST 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 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 SLANT
All five letters miss 13.8% of the time, leaving 326 words in play. Of the 824 follow-ups checked here, DECOR leaves the fewest possible answers on average (8.4).
How these two openers fit together
REAST and SLANT share 3 letters (A, S, T). 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 SLANT earns 7.68 bits of information in total, 1.82 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- REAST: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLANT: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: REAST or SLANT?
- In the current bounded policy screen, SLANT has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.45 guesses versus 3.47 for REAST. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for REAST vs SLANT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. REAST records 5.86 bits and SLANT records 5.49 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 SLANT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, REAST left fewer possible answers than SLANT on 59% of days, SLANT did better on 40%, and the rest were ties. On average, REAST left 73 candidates after the first guess and SLANT left 101.