5 FiveLetterWords
Very unlikely Accepted guess C tier for first-turn info

BLAYS

BLAYS is an accepted guess. Its modelled answer likelihood is very unlikely; no globally completed appearance is recorded here.

Meaning and pronunciation

Noun

plural of blay

Source: Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Corrections.

Use BLAYS in a puzzle

As an opener, it rules out about 91.8% of possible answers.

Open Solver with BLAYS Open Word Finder

Wordle status

Answer chance: very unlikely. Roughly 0.05% within a year (about 1 in 2,113), under the model through 2026-11-05. This is an estimate, not a publisher forecast. How this is calculated.

Playable guess

Yes

Included in the Wordle guess list used by our tools.

Earlier benchmark pool

No

Membership in the preserved uniform benchmark; it is not a future eligibility rule.

Past Wordle answer

No completed appearance

No appearance in our globally completed history. A recent puzzle may still be live elsewhere.

The possible-answer list is the solver's current list and may change when Wordle adds new answers.

How BLAYS performs as a guess

Wordle accepts BLAYS as a guess. It is outside this preserved uniform benchmark’s answer pool; that is not a claim about future eligibility.

Played as an opener, it lands at least one colored tile in 78.3% of games, misses completely in 21.7%, and leaves about 196 possible answers on average.

In the previous complete opener benchmark, it ranks #5,045 of 14,855 openers, averaging 3.67 guesses in games solved within six turns.

Try your feedback pattern

Tap the tiles to match your feedback, then see the ranked follow-up guesses.

All gray? Tap a tile to cycle gray → yellow → green.
See strategy patterns

Useful pattern pages

If you only know part of the word, start with one of these matching patterns.

B___S B in the 1st position and S in the 5th position B__Y_ B in the 1st position and Y in the 4th position _L__S L in the 2nd position and S in the 5th position BL_YS B in the 1st position, L in the 2nd position, Y in the 4th position, and S in the 5th position

Explore lists that match the beginning, ending or letters in BLAYS.

First-turn measures

All four describe BLAYS used as an opening guess. Entropy is the same idea as “avg ruled out” on a log scale: a higher number means the guess splits the possible answers into more, smaller groups.

4.56 Entropy (bits)
196 Avg remaining
0.0% Exact match
91.8% Avg ruled out

As an opening guess: previous benchmark

How BLAYS performed in the previous complete opener benchmark, against its captured answer snapshot. These research figures are separate from today's solver recommendations. See the data page for the method.

3.67 Avg guesses
99.96% Solved within six
0.68 Spread of game lengths
#5,045 Rank among openers
Opening with BLAYS left 1 of the snapshot's answers unsolved after six guesses. A spread of 0.68 means those games clustered within about 0.68 of a guess of the 3.67 average. It ranks #5,045 of 14,855 openers by average guesses in games solved within six.
1 guess
0
2 guesses
47
3 guesses
907
4 guesses
1,182
5 guesses
208
6 guesses
9

Composition

5/5 unique
1 vowels
Common:
ALS

Feedback chances

Any hit (G/Y)
78%
Green tile
26%
All gray
22%

When BLAYS is useful later

BLAYS tied for the smallest expected survivor count in 3 of 54 sampled positions where it was legal. This designed sample is not a measure of how often real players should use it.

After CRANE: 3 candidates, normal mode

CRANE: 00100 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

MAILL: 01020 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

ADULT: 10020 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

SHOLA: 00122 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: BOXLA, BOYLA, VOBLA.

With a budget of 2 more guesses, BLAYS is an information probe, outside this survivor list. It leaves 1.00 candidates on average under the model. Every feedback identifies a single candidate; another turn may be needed to submit it.

Try this position in the Solver
After ADIEU: 4 candidates, normal mode

ADIEU: 02000 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: ODDLY, ODOOM, ODORS, ODYLS.

With a budget of 5 more guesses, BLAYS is an information probe, outside this survivor list. It leaves 1.00 candidates on average under the model. Every feedback identifies a single candidate; another turn may be needed to submit it.

Try this position in the Solver
After AUDIO: 3 candidates, normal mode

AUDIO: 11200 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: LADDU, SADHU, UNDAM.

With a budget of 5 more guesses, BLAYS is an information probe, outside this survivor list. It leaves 1.00 candidates on average under the model. Every feedback identifies a single candidate; another turn may be needed to submit it.

Try this position in the Solver
Sample and method

Every saved board is reachable within a six-turn game. Remaining turns equal six minus the saved history length. The sampling policy is independent of the expected-survivor metric. Two states at each of three depths per opener were selected by a fixed hash from an independent candidate-only sampling policy. Every accepted guess was evaluated. Model answer-model-2026-11-05-9183a914c959, data through 2026-11-05. The score measures expected survivors, not proved solve length or human difficulty.

How this is calculated.

How the solver finds BLAYS

The strategy receives only earlier guesses and their feedback. It does not know the answer before choosing a move. Guessing the answer itself on turn one is a lucky one-turn result, not a recommended general strategy.

Normal mode

Our solver: bounded weighted policy. Current-pool replay over 14,855 accepted words. Model through 2026-11-05.

  1. The fixed opener tests its five letters.

    14,855 before → 523 after. This feedback leaves 523 candidates.

    All 523 surviving candidates

    ABACS, ABBAS, ABIUS, ACAIS, ACCAS, ACIDS, ACYLS, ADAWS, ADAYS, ADDAS, ADIOS, ADSUM, AGALS, AGBAS, AGHAS, AGIOS, AGLUS, AGMAS, AGONS, AIDAS, AIDOS, AIGAS, AKKAS, ALANS, ALAPS, ALAYS, ALBAS, ALCOS, ALFAS, ALGAS, ALGOS, ALIAS, ALIFS, ALIMS, ALIOS, ALKOS, ALLIS, ALLUS, ALMAS, ALODS, ALOOS, ALUMS, AMAHS, AMBOS, AMIAS, AMIDS, AMINS, AMLAS, AMMAS, AMMOS, AMOKS, AMYLS, ANGAS, ANILS, ANKHS, ANKUS, ANLAS, ANNAS, ANNUS, ANOAS, ANSAS, APAYS, APHIS, APODS, APOLS, APSIS, APSOS, AQUAS, ASADA, ASANA, ASCON, ASCUS, ASDIC, ASKOI, ASKOS, ASPIC, ASPIS, ASSAI, ASSAM, ASSAY, ASWAY, ASWIM, ASYLA, AULAS, AULOS, AVGAS, AVOWS, AWAYS, AWDLS, AWOLS, AXILS, AXONS, AYAHS, AYINS, AZANS, AZONS, AZYMS, BDAYS, BHAIS, BIMAS, BLABS, BLADS, BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS, BOABS, BOAKS, BOBAS, BOLAS, BOMAS, BUBAS, BUDAS, BUNAS, CHADS, CHAIS, CHALS, CHAMS, CHAOS, CHAPS, CHAVS, CHAWS, CHAYS, CHIAS, CLADS, CLAGS, CLAMS, CLANS, CLAPS, CLAWS, CLAYS, COALS, COCAS, CODAS, COLAS, COMAS, CYANS, CYCAS, CYMAS, DBAGS, DHAKS, DHALS, DIALS, DIKAS, DISAS, DIVAS, DIYAS, DOABS, DONAS, DOPAS, DOSAI, DOSAS, DOSHA, DUADS, DUALS, DUANS, DUKAS, DUMAS, DWAMS, DYADS, FLABS, FLAGS, FLAKS, FLAMS, FLANS, FLAPS, FLAWS, FLAYS, FOALS, FOAMS, GIGAS, GILAS, GLADS, GLAMS, GLANS, GLIAS, GNAWS, GOADS, GOAFS, GOALS, GUANS, GUGAS, GULAS, GUNAS, GUSLA, GYALS, GYANS, HIBAS, HOKAS, HOMAS, HOYAS, HUIAS, HULAS, HUMAS, HYLAS, IKANS, IMAMS, INCAS, ISBAS, IXIAS, JIAOS, JUBAS, JUDAS, KCALS, KHADS, KHAFS, KHANS, KINAS, KIPAS, KISAN, KIVAS, KLAPS, KNAGS, KNAPS, KOANS, KOAPS, KOHAS, KOKAS, KOLAS, KUIAS, KULAS, KUNAS, KUYAS, KYAKS, LIMAS, LIPAS, LIWAS, LOADS, LOAFS, LOAMS, LOANS, LOLAS, LOMAS, LUAUS, LUMAS, LUNAS, LYAMS, MGALS, MIAIS, MICAS, MIHAS, MINAS, MISAL, MIYAS, MOAIS, MOALS, MOANS, MOGAS, MOLAS, MONAS, MOWAS, MOXAS, MOYAS, MUSCA, MUSHA, MYALS, MYNAS, NILAS, NIPAS, NIVAS, NOAHS, NOIAS, NOMAS, NONAS, NOVAS, NOXAS, NSIMA, NYAMS, OBIAS, ODAHS, ODALS, OFAYS, OGAMS, OHIAS, OKAYS, OLLAS, OMDAS, OOAAS, OPAHS, OPALS, OSHAC, OSSIA, OUMAS, OUPAS, OUSIA, OVALS, PIAIS, PIANS, PICAS, PIKAS, PIMAS, PINAS, PIPAS, PLAAS, PLANS, PLAPS, PLAVS, PLAYS, POMAS, POSCA, POYAS, PSALM, PSHAW, PSIAS, PSOAI, PSOAS, PUHAS, PUJAS, PUKAS, PULAS, PUMAS, PUNAS, PUPAS, PUYAS, QILAS, QUABS, QUADS, QUAGS, QUAIS, QUAWS, QUAYS, SCABS, SCADS, SCAFF, SCAGS, SCAIL, SCALA, SCALD, SCALL, SCALP, SCALY, SCAMP, SCAMS, SCAND, SCANS, SCAPA, SCAPI, SCAUD, SCAUP, SCAWS, SCHAV, SCHWA, SCOPA, SCUBA, SDAYN, SHACK, SHADS, SHADY, SHAGS, SHAHS, SHAKA, SHAKO, SHAKY, SHALL, SHALM, SHALY, SHAMA, SHAMS, SHAND, SHANK, SHANS, SHAPS, SHAUL, SHAWL, SHAWM, SHAWN, SHAWS, SHAYA, SHAYS, SHIAI, SHIVA, SHOAL, SHOLA, SHUBA, SHWAS, SIALS, SIBIA, SIDAS, SIDHA, SIGLA, SIGMA, SIGNA, SIKAS, SILVA, SIMAS, SIMBA, SISAL, SKAGS, SKAIL, SKALD, SKANK, SKAWS, SKOAL, SKUAS, SLABS, SLACK, SLAGS, SLAID, SLAIN, SLAMS, SLANG, SLANK, SLAPS, SLAWS, SLAYS, SLOAN, SLOKA, SMAAK, SMACK, SMAIK, SMALL, SMALM, SNABS, SNACK, SNAFU, SNAGS, SNAIL, SNAKY, SNAPS, SNAWS, SOAKS, SOAPS, SOAPY, SOBAS, SOCAS, SOCIA, SODAS, SOFAS, SOJAS, SOKAH, SOLAH, SOLAN, SOLAS, SOMAN, SOMAS, SOYAS, SPACK, SPACY, SPADO, SPADS, SPAGS, SPAHI, SPAIL, SPAIN, SPALD, SPALL, SPAMS, SPANG, SPANK, SPANS, SPAUL, SPAWL, SPAWN, SPAWS, SPAYD, SPAYS, SPAZA, SPAZZ, SPIAL, SPICA, SPINA, SPLAY, SPYAL, SQUAB, SQUAD, SQUAW, SUBAH, SUBAK, SUBAS, SUBHA, SUDAN, SUGAN, SULFA, SUMAC, SUMMA, SUNNA, SUONA, SWABS, SWACK, SWADS, SWAGS, SWAIL, SWAIN, SWALY, SWAMI, SWAMP, SWAMY, SWANG, SWANK, SWANS, SWAPS, SWAYL, SWAYS, SYLVA, UBACS, UDALS, ULANS, ULNAS, ULVAS, UMMAS, UNAIS, UNAUS, UNSAW, UNSAY, USUAL, VIALS, VIGAS, VINAS, VISAS, VISNA, VIVAS, WHAMS, WHAPS, WISHA, WOADS, WOMAS, YOGAS, YUANS, YUCAS, YUGAS, ZILAS, ZUPAS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 414.45. Information: 5.74 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  2. Test CLANS against the 523 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    523 before → 29 after. This feedback leaves 29 candidates.

    All 29 surviving candidates

    ALAPS, ALAYS, BLABS, BLADS, BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS, FLABS, FLAGS, FLAKS, FLAMS, FLAPS, FLAWS, FLAYS, GLADS, GLAMS, KLAPS, PLAAS, PLAPS, PLAVS, PLAYS, SLABS, SLAGS, SLAMS, SLAPS, SLAWS, SLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 13.553. Information: 3.532 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test FLABS against the 29 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    29 before → 6 after. This feedback leaves 6 candidates.

    All 6 surviving candidates

    BLADS, BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 9.414. Information: 1.881 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test DAMES against the 6 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    6 before → 4 after. This feedback leaves 4 candidates.

    All 4 surviving candidates

    BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAWS, BLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 3.0. Information: 1.252 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  5. Test BLAGS against the 4 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    4 before → 3 after. This feedback leaves 3 candidates.

    All 3 surviving candidates

    BLAHS, BLAWS, BLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 2.5. Information: 0.811 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  6. Test BLAHS against the 3 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    3 before → 2 after. This feedback leaves 2 candidates.

    All 2 surviving candidates

    BLAWS, BLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.667. Information: 0.918 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

This policy did not solve within six guesses.

Continue this board in the Solver

Hard Mode

Our solver: bounded weighted policy. Current-pool replay over 14,855 accepted words. Model through 2026-11-05.

  1. The fixed opener tests its five letters.

    14,855 before → 523 after. This feedback leaves 523 candidates.

    All 523 surviving candidates

    ABACS, ABBAS, ABIUS, ACAIS, ACCAS, ACIDS, ACYLS, ADAWS, ADAYS, ADDAS, ADIOS, ADSUM, AGALS, AGBAS, AGHAS, AGIOS, AGLUS, AGMAS, AGONS, AIDAS, AIDOS, AIGAS, AKKAS, ALANS, ALAPS, ALAYS, ALBAS, ALCOS, ALFAS, ALGAS, ALGOS, ALIAS, ALIFS, ALIMS, ALIOS, ALKOS, ALLIS, ALLUS, ALMAS, ALODS, ALOOS, ALUMS, AMAHS, AMBOS, AMIAS, AMIDS, AMINS, AMLAS, AMMAS, AMMOS, AMOKS, AMYLS, ANGAS, ANILS, ANKHS, ANKUS, ANLAS, ANNAS, ANNUS, ANOAS, ANSAS, APAYS, APHIS, APODS, APOLS, APSIS, APSOS, AQUAS, ASADA, ASANA, ASCON, ASCUS, ASDIC, ASKOI, ASKOS, ASPIC, ASPIS, ASSAI, ASSAM, ASSAY, ASWAY, ASWIM, ASYLA, AULAS, AULOS, AVGAS, AVOWS, AWAYS, AWDLS, AWOLS, AXILS, AXONS, AYAHS, AYINS, AZANS, AZONS, AZYMS, BDAYS, BHAIS, BIMAS, BLABS, BLADS, BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS, BOABS, BOAKS, BOBAS, BOLAS, BOMAS, BUBAS, BUDAS, BUNAS, CHADS, CHAIS, CHALS, CHAMS, CHAOS, CHAPS, CHAVS, CHAWS, CHAYS, CHIAS, CLADS, CLAGS, CLAMS, CLANS, CLAPS, CLAWS, CLAYS, COALS, COCAS, CODAS, COLAS, COMAS, CYANS, CYCAS, CYMAS, DBAGS, DHAKS, DHALS, DIALS, DIKAS, DISAS, DIVAS, DIYAS, DOABS, DONAS, DOPAS, DOSAI, DOSAS, DOSHA, DUADS, DUALS, DUANS, DUKAS, DUMAS, DWAMS, DYADS, FLABS, FLAGS, FLAKS, FLAMS, FLANS, FLAPS, FLAWS, FLAYS, FOALS, FOAMS, GIGAS, GILAS, GLADS, GLAMS, GLANS, GLIAS, GNAWS, GOADS, GOAFS, GOALS, GUANS, GUGAS, GULAS, GUNAS, GUSLA, GYALS, GYANS, HIBAS, HOKAS, HOMAS, HOYAS, HUIAS, HULAS, HUMAS, HYLAS, IKANS, IMAMS, INCAS, ISBAS, IXIAS, JIAOS, JUBAS, JUDAS, KCALS, KHADS, KHAFS, KHANS, KINAS, KIPAS, KISAN, KIVAS, KLAPS, KNAGS, KNAPS, KOANS, KOAPS, KOHAS, KOKAS, KOLAS, KUIAS, KULAS, KUNAS, KUYAS, KYAKS, LIMAS, LIPAS, LIWAS, LOADS, LOAFS, LOAMS, LOANS, LOLAS, LOMAS, LUAUS, LUMAS, LUNAS, LYAMS, MGALS, MIAIS, MICAS, MIHAS, MINAS, MISAL, MIYAS, MOAIS, MOALS, MOANS, MOGAS, MOLAS, MONAS, MOWAS, MOXAS, MOYAS, MUSCA, MUSHA, MYALS, MYNAS, NILAS, NIPAS, NIVAS, NOAHS, NOIAS, NOMAS, NONAS, NOVAS, NOXAS, NSIMA, NYAMS, OBIAS, ODAHS, ODALS, OFAYS, OGAMS, OHIAS, OKAYS, OLLAS, OMDAS, OOAAS, OPAHS, OPALS, OSHAC, OSSIA, OUMAS, OUPAS, OUSIA, OVALS, PIAIS, PIANS, PICAS, PIKAS, PIMAS, PINAS, PIPAS, PLAAS, PLANS, PLAPS, PLAVS, PLAYS, POMAS, POSCA, POYAS, PSALM, PSHAW, PSIAS, PSOAI, PSOAS, PUHAS, PUJAS, PUKAS, PULAS, PUMAS, PUNAS, PUPAS, PUYAS, QILAS, QUABS, QUADS, QUAGS, QUAIS, QUAWS, QUAYS, SCABS, SCADS, SCAFF, SCAGS, SCAIL, SCALA, SCALD, SCALL, SCALP, SCALY, SCAMP, SCAMS, SCAND, SCANS, SCAPA, SCAPI, SCAUD, SCAUP, SCAWS, SCHAV, SCHWA, SCOPA, SCUBA, SDAYN, SHACK, SHADS, SHADY, SHAGS, SHAHS, SHAKA, SHAKO, SHAKY, SHALL, SHALM, SHALY, SHAMA, SHAMS, SHAND, SHANK, SHANS, SHAPS, SHAUL, SHAWL, SHAWM, SHAWN, SHAWS, SHAYA, SHAYS, SHIAI, SHIVA, SHOAL, SHOLA, SHUBA, SHWAS, SIALS, SIBIA, SIDAS, SIDHA, SIGLA, SIGMA, SIGNA, SIKAS, SILVA, SIMAS, SIMBA, SISAL, SKAGS, SKAIL, SKALD, SKANK, SKAWS, SKOAL, SKUAS, SLABS, SLACK, SLAGS, SLAID, SLAIN, SLAMS, SLANG, SLANK, SLAPS, SLAWS, SLAYS, SLOAN, SLOKA, SMAAK, SMACK, SMAIK, SMALL, SMALM, SNABS, SNACK, SNAFU, SNAGS, SNAIL, SNAKY, SNAPS, SNAWS, SOAKS, SOAPS, SOAPY, SOBAS, SOCAS, SOCIA, SODAS, SOFAS, SOJAS, SOKAH, SOLAH, SOLAN, SOLAS, SOMAN, SOMAS, SOYAS, SPACK, SPACY, SPADO, SPADS, SPAGS, SPAHI, SPAIL, SPAIN, SPALD, SPALL, SPAMS, SPANG, SPANK, SPANS, SPAUL, SPAWL, SPAWN, SPAWS, SPAYD, SPAYS, SPAZA, SPAZZ, SPIAL, SPICA, SPINA, SPLAY, SPYAL, SQUAB, SQUAD, SQUAW, SUBAH, SUBAK, SUBAS, SUBHA, SUDAN, SUGAN, SULFA, SUMAC, SUMMA, SUNNA, SUONA, SWABS, SWACK, SWADS, SWAGS, SWAIL, SWAIN, SWALY, SWAMI, SWAMP, SWAMY, SWANG, SWANK, SWANS, SWAPS, SWAYL, SWAYS, SYLVA, UBACS, UDALS, ULANS, ULNAS, ULVAS, UMMAS, UNAIS, UNAUS, UNSAW, UNSAY, USUAL, VIALS, VIGAS, VINAS, VISAS, VISNA, VIVAS, WHAMS, WHAPS, WISHA, WOADS, WOMAS, YOGAS, YUANS, YUCAS, YUGAS, ZILAS, ZUPAS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 414.45. Information: 5.74 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  2. Test CLANS against the 523 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    523 before → 29 after. This feedback leaves 29 candidates.

    All 29 surviving candidates

    ALAPS, ALAYS, BLABS, BLADS, BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS, FLABS, FLAGS, FLAKS, FLAMS, FLAPS, FLAWS, FLAYS, GLADS, GLAMS, KLAPS, PLAAS, PLAPS, PLAVS, PLAYS, SLABS, SLAGS, SLAMS, SLAPS, SLAWS, SLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 13.553. Information: 3.532 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test FLABS against the 29 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    29 before → 6 after. This feedback leaves 6 candidates.

    All 6 surviving candidates

    BLADS, BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 9.414. Information: 1.881 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test BLADS against the 6 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    6 before → 5 after. This feedback leaves 5 candidates.

    All 5 surviving candidates

    BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 4.333. Information: 0.65 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  5. Test BLAGS against the 5 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    5 before → 4 after. This feedback leaves 4 candidates.

    All 4 surviving candidates

    BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 3.4. Information: 0.722 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  6. Test BLAHS against the 4 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    4 before → 3 after. This feedback leaves 3 candidates.

    All 3 surviving candidates

    BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 2.5. Information: 0.811 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

This policy did not solve within six guesses.

Continue this board in the Solver

How the fixed opener panel performs on this answer

OpenerFirst feedbackSurvivorsNormalHard Mode
TARSE01010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)523Not solved in sixNot solved in six
CRANE00200 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)376Not solved in sixNot solved in six
SLATE12200 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)44Not solved in sixNot solved in six
ADIEU10000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)2019Not solved in sixNot solved in six
STARE10200 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)170Not solved in sixNot solved in six
AUDIO10000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)2513Not solved in sixNot solved in six
RAISE01010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)519Not solved in sixNot solved in six
ROATE00200 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)409Not solved in sixNot solved in six
SALET11100 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)112Not solved in sixNot solved in six
Normal mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 0 · 5 guesses: 0 · 6 guesses: 0 · Failed in six: 9
Hard Mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 0 · 5 guesses: 0 · 6 guesses: 0 · Failed in six: 9

The nine openers use the same pool and continuation policy. Across both modes: no configuration solved within six guesses; 18 of 18 configurations failed. This is performance on this answer, not an overall opener ranking.

22 openers set up a two-turn opportunity; examples include BELLY, BERYL, SYBIL, BALLY, BALMY, BALDY, BUTYL, FLYBY, BEADY, SIBYL. After their feedback, this answer is among the most likely survivors with at least half the model probability. This is an opportunity, not a guarantee. An opener that immediately solves is excluded.

Why this answer can be difficult

The worked board still allows 6 different answers at one later decision: BLADS, BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS. These are mechanical alternatives, not a judgement of vocabulary difficulty.

Vocabulary evidence and voluntary player results are reported separately from these solver observations.

Closest competing answers in this board

These words all fit the earlier feedback, rather than merely sharing similar spelling: BLADS, BLAGS, BLAHS, BLAMS, BLAWS, BLAYS.

A lesson from this route

Before DAMES, 6 words still fit. Its feedback left 4; check the full survivor list before choosing the next answer.

Try another opener or a different move

How this is calculated

The current policy checks all remaining candidates and up to 128 fixed probes. At six or fewer candidates it uses bounded lookahead, preferring modelled six-turn success, then speed among successes. Larger states use expected survivors as a heuristic. These are recommendations, not proofs of optimal play. Hard Mode retains green positions and revealed letter counts; it allows grey letters and a yellow in the same position. Candidate-only play is stricter.

Methods and limitations

Feedback distribution

BLAYS can come back 82 different ways. These are the most likely, and how many of the possible answers give each one:

518 answers
245 answers
226 answers
142 answers
128 answers
102 answers
100 answers
72 answers
62 answers
60 answers
59 answers
51 answers
49 answers
47 answers
35 answers
30 answers
28 answers
27 answers
26 answers
23 answers
23 answers
20 answers
19 answers
19 answers
18 answers
17 answers
17 answers
16 answers
16 answers
15 answers

Letter-value totals

Base letter-value totals for BLAYS; these do not show whether either game accepts the word.

Scrabble

B3L1A1Y4S1
Total: 10 points

Words With Friends

Total: 11 points

Scores shown are base values without double/triple letter or word bonuses.

Try next

TRINE ROUET TONER RIONE NOIRE TRICE

Strategy after playing BLAYS

What the solver recommends next for each way the board can respond to BLAYS.

Quick reference

Largest feedback groups after playing BLAYS:

22% chance
Suggested:
TRINE
10% chance
Suggested:
ROUET
9% chance
Suggested:
TONER

Follow-ups for common patterns

Ranked follow-up guesses for the 10 most common feedback patterns.

21.7% →
TRINE 6.29 bits
10.2% →
ROUET 5.51 bits
9.4% →
TONER 5.42 bits
5.9% →
RIONE 4.85 bits
5.4% →
NOIRE 4.83 bits
4.3% →
TRICE 5.16 bits
4.2% →
RATEL 4.60 bits
3.0% →
CRUET 4.19 bits
2.6% →
TARDY 4.08 bits
2.5% →
PATER 4.78 bits

Research on BLAYS

Game-tree analysis and word research for BLAYS, with an explanation for each figure.

Optimal play

Opening with BLAYS, a proven-optimal strategy averages 3.72 guesses and ranks #6,273 of 14,855 legal openers. The best proven opener, TARSE, averages 3.55.

In hard mode it averages 3.84 guesses at best and is rank #2,462 of the 7,453 openers that can still guarantee a solve within six guesses.

Our six-turn simulation says 3.67, at or below the proven-optimal 3.72, because the two figures score different answer lists.

These figures come from exhaustive game-tree search and are exact for the NYT lists of July 2023 (3,158 answers). They do not use the site's working answer pool.

Sources: Optimal-play values: Alex Selby's exhaustive Wordle analysis (MIT).