Opener Lab
TRACE 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. TRACE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.47 for TRICE.
Looking only at the opening row, TRACE has higher entropy (5.82 bits versus 5.63). 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 69% of dates; TRICE did so on 29%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | TRACE | TRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.8% | 96.2% |
| Information | 5.82 bits | 5.63 bits |
| Avg remaining | 76 words | 89 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.47 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | S | 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, TRACE left an average of 72 candidates and TRICE an average of 87.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. TRACE came back ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 and kept 117 words in play. TRICE came back ⬛🟨🟨⬛🟨 and kept 31 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | TRACE | TRICE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 42.1% | 41.2% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.3% | 87.8% |
| Whole row gray | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| Worst case answers left | 253 | 287 |
*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 12.2% for TRICE.
Planning the second guess
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).
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
TRACE and TRICE share 4 of their 5 letters (C, E, R, 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, TRACE then TRICE earns 6.77 bits of information in total, 0.94 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- TRACE: Answer to Wordle #179 on December 15, 2021. TRICE would have come back 🟩🟩⬛🟩🟩 that day, leaving 2 possible answers.
- TRICE: Answer to Wordle #457 on September 19, 2022. TRACE would have come back 🟩🟩⬛🟩🟩 that day, leaving 2 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: TRACE or TRICE?
- 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 TRICE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for TRACE vs TRICE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. TRACE records 5.82 bits and TRICE records 5.63 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 TRACE and TRICE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, TRACE left fewer possible answers than TRICE on 69% of days, TRICE did better on 29%, and the rest were ties. On average, TRACE left 72 candidates after the first guess and TRICE left 87.