Opener Lab
STALE vs TRACE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
These game-length figures come from the previous complete opener benchmark against its 2,354-answer snapshot, ranked by average guesses among games solved within six. Its answer snapshot and continuation policy are separate from today's solver recommendations.
The same solver played from both openers. TRACE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.53 guesses to 3.57 for STALE.
Looking only at the opening row, TRACE has higher entropy (5.82 bits versus 5.74). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,859 past Wordle answers, TRACE left the smaller first-guess group on 54% of dates; STALE did so on 46%, with the rest tied.
One thing STALE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 228 possible answers, while TRACE can be left staring at 254.
| Metric | STALE | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.7% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.74 bits | 5.82 bits |
| Avg remaining | 77 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.57 | 3.53 |
| Win rate | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Tier | A | S |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,859 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, STALE left an average of 76 candidates and TRACE an average of 73.
The most recent test was Wordle #1858 on July 21, 2026, when the answer was SHILL. STALE came back 🟩⬛⬛🟩⬛ and kept 12 words in play. TRACE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 254 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | STALE | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 42.3% | 42.1% |
| Any green or yellow | 90.3% | 89.2% |
| Whole row gray | 9.7% | 10.8% |
| Worst case answers left | 228 | 254 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with STALE: it happens 9.7% of the time, against 10.8% for TRACE.
Planning the second guess
After STALE
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 10.8% of the time, leaving 254 words in play. Of the 754 follow-ups checked here, SOILY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.1).
How these two openers fit together
STALE 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, STALE then TRACE earns 7.69 bits of information in total, 1.87 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- STALE: Answer to Wordle #505 on November 6, 2022. TRACE would have come back 🟨⬛🟩⬛🟩 that day, leaving 13 possible answers.
- TRACE: Answer to Wordle #179 on December 15, 2021. STALE would have come back ⬛🟨🟩⬛🟩 that day, leaving 8 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: STALE or TRACE?
- In the previous complete benchmark, TRACE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.53 guesses versus 3.57 for STALE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for STALE vs TRACE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. STALE records 5.74 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 STALE and TRACE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,859 past Wordle answers, STALE left fewer possible answers than TRACE on 46% of days, TRACE did better on 54%, and the rest were ties. On average, STALE left 76 candidates after the first guess and TRACE left 73.