Opener Lab
REAST vs SLART
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. SLART has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.47 for REAST.
Looking only at the opening row, REAST has higher entropy (5.86 bits versus 5.63). 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; SLART did so on 39%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | REAST | SLART |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.9% | 96.3% |
| Information | 5.86 bits | 5.63 bits |
| Avg remaining | 73 words | 88 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 SLART an average of 88.
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. SLART came back ⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ and kept 224 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | REAST | SLART |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0% |
| At least one green | 36.9% | 40.8% |
| Any green or yellow | 90.1% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 9.9% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 234 | 252 |
*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 SLART
All five letters miss 10.7% of the time, leaving 252 words in play. Of the 751 follow-ups checked here, DUNCE leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
How these two openers fit together
REAST and SLART share 4 of their 5 letters (A, R, S, 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, REAST then SLART earns 7.06 bits of information in total, 1.20 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- REAST: 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.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: REAST or SLART?
- In the current bounded policy screen, SLART has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.47 for REAST. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for REAST vs SLART?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. REAST records 5.86 bits and SLART records 5.63 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 SLART score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, REAST left fewer possible answers than SLART on 59% of days, SLART did better on 39%, and the rest were ties. On average, REAST left 73 candidates after the first guess and SLART left 88.