Opener Lab
ROAST 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 six-turn results are effectively tied: when the same solver plays from each word, ROAST averages 3.46 guesses and SLART averages 3.46 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, ROAST has higher entropy (5.65 bits versus 5.63). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLART left the smaller first-guess group on 54% of dates; ROAST did so on 44%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | ROAST | SLART |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.4% | 96.3% |
| Information | 5.65 bits | 5.63 bits |
| Avg remaining | 85 words | 88 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.46 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | A | 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, ROAST left an average of 84 candidates and SLART an average of 88.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. ROAST came back 🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 157 words in play. SLART came back ⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ and kept 224 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ROAST | SLART |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0% |
| At least one green | 39.6% | 40.8% |
| Any green or yellow | 88.5% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 11.5% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 270 | 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.
SLART 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 ROAST
All five letters miss 11.5% of the time, leaving 270 words in play. Of the 770 follow-ups checked here, CLINE leaves the fewest possible answers on average (5.8).
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
ROAST 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, ROAST then SLART earns 6.86 bits of information in total, 1.21 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ROAST: 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: ROAST or SLART?
- ROAST and SLART are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for ROAST vs SLART?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. ROAST records 5.65 bits and SLART records 5.63 bits. ROAST 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 ROAST and SLART score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, ROAST left fewer possible answers than SLART on 44% of days, SLART did better on 54%, and the rest were ties. On average, ROAST left 84 candidates after the first guess and SLART left 88.