Opener Lab
SLANE vs SLATE
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. SLANE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.47 for SLATE.
Looking only at the opening row, SLATE 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, SLATE left the smaller first-guess group on 58% of dates; SLANE did so on 35%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | SLANE | SLATE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.8% | 96.9% |
| Information | 5.77 bits | 5.86 bits |
| Avg remaining | 76 words | 73 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.47 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | A | S |
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, SLANE left an average of 75 candidates and SLATE an average of 72.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. SLANE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 178 words in play. SLATE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 169 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | SLANE | SLATE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 46.3% | 46.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 90.0% | 90.3% |
| Whole row gray | 10.0% | 9.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 235 | 228 |
*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.
SLANE 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 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).
After SLATE
All five letters miss 9.7% of the time, leaving 228 words in play. Of the 728 follow-ups checked here, IRONY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
How these two openers fit together
SLANE and SLATE share 4 of their 5 letters (A, E, L, S), 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, SLANE then SLATE earns 6.72 bits of information in total, 0.86 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- SLANE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLATE: Answer to Wordle #548 on December 19, 2022. SLANE would have come back 🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩 that day, leaving 2 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: SLANE or SLATE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, SLANE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.47 for SLATE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for SLANE vs SLATE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. SLANE records 5.77 bits and SLATE records 5.86 bits. SLATE 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 SLANE and SLATE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLANE left fewer possible answers than SLATE on 35% of days, SLATE did better on 58%, and the rest were ties. On average, SLANE left 75 candidates after the first guess and SLATE left 72.