Opener Lab
SLANT vs TRACE
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, SLANT averages 3.45 guesses and TRACE averages 3.46 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, TRACE has higher entropy (5.82 bits versus 5.49). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, TRACE left the smaller first-guess group on 58% of dates; SLANT did so on 41%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | SLANT | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 95.7% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.49 bits | 5.82 bits |
| Avg remaining | 101 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.45 | 3.46 |
| 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, SLANT left an average of 101 candidates and TRACE an average of 72.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. SLANT came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 326 words in play. TRACE came back ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 and kept 117 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | SLANT | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 41.4% | 42.1% |
| Any green or yellow | 86.2% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 13.8% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 326 | 253 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with TRACE: it happens 10.7% of the time, against 13.8% for SLANT.
Planning the second guess
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).
After TRACE
All five letters miss 10.7% of the time, leaving 253 words in play. Of the 753 follow-ups checked here, SOILY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.1).
How these two openers fit together
SLANT and TRACE share 2 letters (A, T). Played as a pair they cover 8 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, SLANT then TRACE earns 8.50 bits of information in total, 2.68 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- SLANT: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- TRACE: Answer to Wordle #179 on December 15, 2021. SLANT would have come back ⬛⬛🟩⬛🟨 that day, leaving 18 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: SLANT or TRACE?
- SLANT and TRACE are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for SLANT vs TRACE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. SLANT records 5.49 bits and TRACE records 5.82 bits. TRACE 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 SLANT and TRACE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLANT left fewer possible answers than TRACE on 41% of days, TRACE did better on 58%, and the rest were ties. On average, SLANT left 101 candidates after the first guess and TRACE left 72.