Opener Lab
CARSE 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 same solver played from both openers. SLANT has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.45 guesses to 3.47 for CARSE.
Looking only at the opening row, CARSE 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, CARSE left the smaller first-guess group on 55% of dates; SLANT did so on 44%, with the rest tied.
One thing CARSE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 244 possible answers, while SLANT can be left staring at 326.
| Metric | CARSE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.7% | 95.7% |
| Information | 5.76 bits | 5.49 bits |
| Avg remaining | 77 words | 101 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 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, CARSE left an average of 76 candidates and SLANT an average of 100.
The most recent test was Wordle #1875 on August 7, 2026, when the answer was FEIGN. CARSE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 142 words in play. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ and kept 123 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CARSE | SLANT |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 43.2% | 41.5% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.7% | 86.2% |
| Whole row gray | 10.3% | 13.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 244 | 326 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with CARSE: it happens 10.3% of the time, against 13.8% for SLANT.
CARSE 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 CARSE
All five letters miss 10.3% of the time, leaving 244 words in play. Of the 744 follow-ups checked here, GUILT leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.8).
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
CARSE and SLANT share 2 letters (A, S). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CARSE then SLANT earns 8.60 bits of information in total, 2.85 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CARSE: 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: CARSE 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 CARSE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for CARSE vs SLANT?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CARSE records 5.76 bits and SLANT records 5.49 bits. CARSE 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 CARSE and SLANT score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,876 past Wordle answers, CARSE left fewer possible answers than SLANT on 55% of days, SLANT did better on 44%, and the rest were ties. On average, CARSE left 76 candidates after the first guess and SLANT left 100.