Opener Lab
CARLE vs SLANT
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,360 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, CARLE averages 3.46 guesses and SLANT averages 3.45 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, CARLE has higher entropy (5.76 bits versus 5.49). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,876 past Wordle answers, CARLE left the smaller first-guess group on 56% of dates; SLANT did so on 44%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CARLE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.7% | 95.7% |
| Information | 5.76 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 77 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.45 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier (first turn only) | A | A |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,876 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, CARLE left an average of 74 candidates and SLANT an average of 100.
The most recent test was Wordle #1875 on August 7, 2026, when the answer was FEIGN. CARLE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 122 words in play. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ and kept 123 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CARLE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.9% | 41.5% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.1% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 10.9% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 258 | 326 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with CARLE: it happens 10.9% of the time, against 13.8% for SLANT.
CARLE 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 CARLE
All five letters miss 10.9% of the time, leaving 258 words in play. Of the 758 follow-ups checked here, SNOUT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.2).
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
CARLE and SLANT share 2 letters (A, L). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CARLE then SLANT earns 8.66 bits of information in total, 2.89 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CARLE: 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: CARLE or SLANT?
- CARLE and SLANT are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for CARLE vs SLANT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CARLE records 5.76 bits and SLANT records 5.49 bits. CARLE 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 CARLE and SLANT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,876 past Wordle answers, CARLE left fewer possible answers than SLANT on 56% of days, SLANT did better on 44%, and the rest were ties. On average, CARLE left 74 candidates after the first guess and SLANT left 100.