Opener Lab
SAINT 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 SAINT.
Looking only at the opening row, SAINT has higher entropy (5.51 bits versus 5.49). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
The past-answer results are close: across 1,858 puzzles, SAINT left the smaller first-guess group 48% of the time and SLANT did so 48% of the time, with the rest tied.
| Metric | SAINT | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 95.5% | 95.7% |
| Information | 5.51 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 106 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 3.45 |
| 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, SAINT left an average of 108 candidates and SLANT an average of 101.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. SAINT came back ⬛⬛🟨⬛⬛ and kept 104 words in play. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 326 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | SAINT | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 46.6% | 41.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 85.2% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 14.8% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 350 | 326 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with SLANT: it happens 13.8% of the time, against 14.8% for SAINT.
Planning the second guess
After SAINT
All five letters miss 14.8% of the time, leaving 350 words in play. Of the 850 follow-ups checked here, DROLE leaves the fewest possible answers on average (8.2).
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
SAINT and SLANT share 4 of their 5 letters (A, N, 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, SAINT then SLANT earns 6.67 bits of information in total, 1.16 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- SAINT: Answer to Wordle #460 on September 22, 2022. SLANT would have come back 🟩⬛🟨🟩🟩 that day, pinning the answer down on the spot.
- SLANT: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: SAINT 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 SAINT. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for SAINT vs SLANT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. SAINT records 5.51 bits and SLANT records 5.49 bits. SAINT 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 SAINT and SLANT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, SAINT left fewer possible answers than SLANT on 48% of days, SLANT did better on 48%, and the rest were ties. On average, SAINT left 108 candidates after the first guess and SLANT left 101.