Opener Lab
SLANT vs TRICE
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 TRICE.
Looking only at the opening row, TRICE has higher entropy (5.63 bits versus 5.49). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, TRICE left the smaller first-guess group on 53% of dates; SLANT did so on 46%, with the rest tied.
One thing TRICE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 287 possible answers, while SLANT can be left staring at 326.
| Metric | SLANT | TRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 95.7% | 96.2% |
| Information | 5.49 bits | 5.63 bits |
| Avg remaining | 101 words | 89 words |
| Avg turns | 3.45 | 3.47 |
| 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, SLANT left an average of 101 candidates and TRICE an average of 87.
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. TRICE came back ⬛🟨🟨⬛🟨 and kept 31 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | SLANT | TRICE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 41.4% | 41.2% |
| Any green or yellow | 86.2% | 87.8% |
| Whole row gray | 13.8% | 12.2% |
| Worst case answers left | 326 | 287 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with TRICE: it happens 12.2% 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 TRICE
All five letters miss 12.2% of the time, leaving 287 words in play. Of the 785 follow-ups checked here, SALON leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.2).
How these two openers fit together
SLANT and TRICE overlap on a single letter (T), so the pair tests 9 different letters between them.
Played back to back, SLANT then TRICE earns 9.19 bits of information in total, 3.57 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- SLANT: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- TRICE: Answer to Wordle #457 on September 19, 2022. SLANT would have come back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 that day, leaving 133 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: SLANT or TRICE?
- 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 TRICE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for SLANT vs TRICE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. SLANT records 5.49 bits and TRICE records 5.63 bits. TRICE 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 TRICE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLANT left fewer possible answers than TRICE on 46% of days, TRICE did better on 53%, and the rest were ties. On average, SLANT left 101 candidates after the first guess and TRICE left 87.