Opener Lab
SLATE 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 same solver played from both openers. TRACE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.47 for SLATE.
Looking only at the opening row, SLATE has higher entropy (5.86 bits versus 5.82). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
The past-answer results are close: across 1,858 puzzles, SLATE left the smaller first-guess group 49% of the time and TRACE did so 50% of the time, with the rest tied.
| Metric | SLATE | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.9% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.86 bits | 5.82 bits |
| Avg remaining | 73 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 3.46 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | S | 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, SLATE left an average of 72 candidates and TRACE an average of 72.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. SLATE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 169 words in play. TRACE came back ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 and kept 117 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | SLATE | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 46.3% | 42.1% |
| Any green or yellow | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 9.7% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 228 | 253 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with SLATE: it happens 9.7% of the time, against 10.7% for TRACE.
Planning the second guess
After SLATE
All five letters miss 9.7% of the time, leaving 228 words in play. Of the 728 follow-ups checked here, IRONY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
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
SLATE and TRACE share 3 letters (A, E, T). Played as a pair they cover 7 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, SLATE then TRACE earns 7.76 bits of information in total, 1.90 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- SLATE: Answer to Wordle #548 on December 19, 2022. TRACE would have come back 🟨⬛🟩⬛🟩 that day, leaving 13 possible answers.
- TRACE: Answer to Wordle #179 on December 15, 2021. SLATE would have come back ⬛⬛🟩🟨🟩 that day, leaving 2 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: SLATE or TRACE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, TRACE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.47 for SLATE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for SLATE vs TRACE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. SLATE records 5.86 bits and TRACE records 5.82 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 TRACE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLATE left fewer possible answers than TRACE on 49% of days, TRACE did better on 50%, and the rest were ties. On average, SLATE left 72 candidates after the first guess and TRACE left 72.