Opener Lab
SLATE vs STARE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,374 answers. Exact misses rank first; average guesses among wins break ties.
The same solver played from both openers. SLATE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.47 guesses to 3.50 for STARE.
Looking only at the opening row, SLATE has higher entropy (5.86 bits versus 5.81). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,907 past Wordle answers, STARE left the smaller first-guess group on 53% of dates; SLATE did so on 46%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | SLATE | STARE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.9% | 96.9% |
| Information | 5.86 bits | 5.81 bits |
| Avg remaining | 74 words | 74 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 3.50 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier (first turn only) | S | S |
word=slate. Download SVG.
word=stare. Download SVG.Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,907 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, SLATE left an average of 73 candidates and STARE an average of 72.
The most recent test was Wordle #1906 on September 7, 2026, when the answer was BLIND. SLATE came back ⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛ and kept 40 words in play. STARE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 235 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | SLATE | STARE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 46.3% | 41.4% |
| Any green or yellow | 90.4% | 90.1% |
| Whole row gray | 9.6% | 9.9% |
| Worst case answers left | 229 | 235 |
*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.
Planning the second guess
After SLATE
All five letters miss 9.6% of the time, leaving 229 words in play. Of the 729 follow-ups checked here, IRONY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.8).
After STARE
All five letters miss 9.9% of the time, leaving 235 words in play. Of the 735 follow-ups checked here, COULD leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
How these two openers fit together
SLATE and STARE share 4 of their 5 letters (A, E, S, T), 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, SLATE then STARE earns 6.89 bits of information in total, 1.03 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- SLATE: Answer to Wordle #548 on December 19, 2022. STARE would have come back 🟩🟨🟩⬛🟩 that day, leaving 3 possible answers.
- STARE: Answer to Wordle #1290 on December 30, 2024. SLATE would have come back 🟩⬛🟩🟨🟩 that day, leaving 4 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: SLATE or STARE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, SLATE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.47 guesses versus 3.50 for STARE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for SLATE vs STARE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. SLATE records 5.86 bits and STARE records 5.81 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 SLATE and STARE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,907 past Wordle answers, SLATE left fewer possible answers than STARE on 46% of days, STARE did better on 53%, and the rest were ties. On average, SLATE left 73 candidates after the first guess and STARE left 72.