Very unlikely Accepted guess C tier for first-turn info

MAHIS

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

No dictionary definition for MAHIS is recorded in our sourced data.

Meaning and pronunciation

We do not have a sourced definition for this word yet.

Check MAHIS on Wiktionary or report a missing entry.

Use MAHIS in a puzzle

As an opener, it rules out about 92.4% of possible answers.

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 MAHIS performs as a guess

Wordle accepts MAHIS 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 81.4% of games, misses completely in 18.6%, and leaves about 181 possible answers on average.

In the previous complete opener benchmark, it ranks #6,198 of 14,855 openers, averaging 3.69 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.

First-turn measures

All four describe MAHIS 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.

4.57 Entropy (bits)
181 Avg remaining
0.0% Exact match
92.4% Avg ruled out

As an opening guess: previous benchmark

How MAHIS 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.

3.69 Avg guesses
99.96% Solved within six
0.70 Spread of game lengths
#6,198 Rank among openers
Opening with MAHIS left 1 of the snapshot's answers unsolved after six guesses. A spread of 0.70 means those games clustered within about 0.70 of a guess of the 3.69 average. It ranks #6,198 of 14,855 openers by average guesses in games solved within six.
1 guess
0
2 guesses
53
3 guesses
876
4 guesses
1,188
5 guesses
222
6 guesses
14

Composition

5/5 unique
2 vowels
Common:
AIS

Feedback chances

Any hit (G/Y)
81%
Green tile
24%
All gray
19%

When MAHIS is useful later

MAHIS tied for the smallest expected survivor count in 4 of 54 sampled positions where it was legal. This designed sample is not a measure of how often real players should use it.

After SLATE: 3 candidates, normal mode

SLATE: 10100 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

RASPS: 11002 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

ABRIS: 10202 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

HORAS: 00222 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: DURAS, MURAS, UMRAS.

With a budget of 2 more guesses, MAHIS 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, MAHIS 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 ROATE: 3 candidates, normal mode

ROATE: 10101 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

AWNER: 10011 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

ZEBRA: 01012 (0 = grey, 1 = yellow, 2 = green).

Remaining answers: CREMA, ERICA, PRESA.

With a budget of 3 more guesses, MAHIS 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 MAHIS

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 → 492 after. This feedback leaves 492 candidates.

    All 492 surviving candidates

    AAPAS, BAALS, BAAPS, BABAS, BABUS, BACHS, BACKS, BAFFS, BAGHS, BAHUS, BAIKS, BAILS, BAJUS, BALAS, BALDS, BALKS, BALLS, BALMS, BALUS, BAMAS, BANCS, BANDS, BANGS, BANKS, BANNS, BAONS, BAPUS, BASAL, BASAN, BASAS, BASHA, BASHO, BASIC, BASIJ, BASIL, BASIN, BASIS, BASKS, BASON, BAUDS, BAUKS, BAWDS, BAWKS, BAWLS, BAWNS, BAYAS, BAZAS, CABAS, CACAS, CACKS, CADIS, CAFFS, CAIDS, CAINS, CALFS, CALKS, CALLS, CALMS, CALOS, CALPS, CAMAS, CAMIS, CAMOS, CAMPS, CAMUS, CANGS, CANNS, CAPAS, CAPHS, CAPOS, CASAS, CASCO, CASKS, CASKY, CASUS, CAUKS, CAULS, CAUMS, CAUPS, CAVAS, CAVUS, CAWKS, DAALS, DACKS, DADAS, DADIS, DADOS, DAFFS, DAGOS, DAHIS, DAHLS, DALIS, DAMNS, DAMPS, DANGS, DANKS, DASHI, DASHY, DAUBS, DAUDS, DAWDS, DAWGS, DAWKS, DAWNS, FADOS, FAFFS, FAIKS, FAILS, FAINS, FALLS, FANDS, FANGS, FANKS, FANOS, FASCI, FAUNS, FAVAS, FAVUS, FAWNS, GADIS, GAFFS, GAIDS, GAINS, GAJOS, GALAS, GALIS, GALLS, GAMAS, GAMBS, GAMPS, GANGS, GANKS, GAOLS, GAPOS, GASHY, GASPS, GASPY, GAUDS, GAUMS, GAUPS, GAWDS, GAWKS, GAWPS, HAAFS, HABUS, HACKS, HAFFS, HAGGS, HAHAS, HAIKS, HAILS, HAINS, HAJIS, HAKAS, HAKUS, HALFS, HALLS, HALMS, HALOS, HANDS, HANGS, HANKS, HAPAS, HAPUS, HASHY, HASKS, HASPS, HAUDS, HAUFS, HAULS, HAUNS, HAWKS, HAWMS, IAMBS, JAAPS, JACKS, JAFAS, JAGAS, JAGGS, JAILS, JAMBS, JANNS, JASPS, JAUKS, JAUPS, JAVAS, JAWNS, KACKS, KADIS, KAGOS, KAGUS, KAIDS, KAIFS, KAIKS, KAILS, KAIMS, KAINS, KAKAS, KAKIS, KALAS, KALIS, KAMAS, KAMIS, KANAS, KANGS, KAONS, KAPAS, KAPHS, KAPUS, KASHA, KAVAS, KAWAS, KAYOS, KAZIS, LABIS, LACIS, LACKS, LAICS, LAIDS, LAIKS, LAKHS, LALLS, LAMAS, LAMBS, LAMPS, LANAS, LANDS, LANKS, LAPAS, LAPIS, LAUDS, LAUFS, LAVAS, LAWKS, LAWNS, LAZOS, MACAS, MACHS, MACKS, MADOS, MAGAS, MAGGS, MAGUS, MAHIS, MAIDS, MAIKS, MAILS, MAIMS, MAINS, MAJAS, MAJOS, MAKIS, MAKOS, MALAS, MALIS, MALLS, MALMS, MALUS, MAMAS, MANAS, MANDS, MANGS, MANIS, MANKS, MANOS, MANUS, MASAS, MASHA, MASHY, MASKS, MASON, MASUS, MAUDS, MAULS, MAUMS, MAVIS, MAWKS, MAWNS, MAWPS, MAXIS, MAYAS, MAYOS, MAZAS, NAAMS, NAANS, NABIS, NABKS, NADAS, NAFFS, NAGAS, NAIBS, NAIDS, NAIFS, NAIKS, NAILS, NAINS, NAIOS, NAKAS, NALAS, NAMUS, NANAS, NANOS, NAPAS, NASAL, NASHI, NASHO, NASIS, NASON, NASUS, NAZIS, OAFOS, OASAL, OASIS, PAALS, PAANS, PACAS, PACKS, PACOS, PADAS, PADIS, PAHOS, PAHUS, PAIKS, PAILS, PAINS, PAIPS, PALAS, PALIS, PALLS, PALMS, PALPS, PALUS, PANDS, PANGS, PANKS, PAPAS, PASAG, PASCH, PASHA, PASHM, PASKA, PASMO, PASPY, PAUAS, PAULS, PAVAS, PAVIS, PAWAS, PAWKS, PAWLS, PAWNS, QADIS, QAIDS, SAAGS, SABAL, SABHA, SABIN, SABJI, SABOS, SABZI, SACKS, SADDO, SADDY, SADHU, SADIC, SADIS, SADLY, SADOS, SADZA, SAGAS, SAGGY, SAGOS, SAGUM, SAHAB, SAHIB, SAICK, SAICS, SAIDS, SAIGA, SAILS, SAIMS, SAINS, SAJOU, SAKAI, SAKIA, SAKIS, SALAD, SALAL, SALAS, SALIC, SALIS, SALIX, SALLY, SALMI, SALOL, SALON, SALOP, SALPA, SALPS, SALUD, SALVO, SAMAN, SAMAS, SAMBA, SAMBO, SAMFI, SAMFU, SAMMY, SAMPI, SAMPS, SANAD, SANDS, SANDY, SANGA, SANGH, SANGO, SANGS, SANKO, SAOLA, SAPAN, SAPID, SAPPY, SASIN, SAUBA, SAUCH, SAUCY, SAUGH, SAULS, SAUNA, SAUNF, SAVIN, SAVOY, SAVVY, SAWAH, SAYAS, SAYID, SAYON, VACAS, VADAS, VAGUS, VAIDS, VAILS, VAKAS, VALIS, VAMPS, VANGS, VASAL, WAACS, WACKS, WADAS, WADDS, WADIS, WAFFS, WAIFS, WAILS, WAINS, WAKAS, WAKFS, WALDS, WALIS, WALKS, WALLS, WAMUS, WANDS, WANGS, WANKS, WAQFS, WASHI, WASHY, WASMS, WASPS, WASPY, WAUKS, WAULS, WAWAS, WAWLS, YABAS, YACKS, YAFFS, YAGIS, YANGS, YANKS, YAPPS, YAUDS, YAUPS, YAWLS, YAWNS, YAWPS, YAYAS, ZACKS, ZAMIS, ZAWNS

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test POLES against the 492 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    492 before → 228 after. This feedback leaves 228 candidates.

    All 228 surviving candidates

    BABAS, BABUS, BACHS, BACKS, BAFFS, BAGHS, BAHUS, BAIKS, BAJUS, BAMAS, BANCS, BANDS, BANGS, BANKS, BANNS, BASAS, BASIS, BASKS, BAUDS, BAUKS, BAWDS, BAWKS, BAWNS, BAYAS, BAZAS, CABAS, CACAS, CACKS, CADIS, CAFFS, CAIDS, CAINS, CAMAS, CAMIS, CAMUS, CANGS, CANNS, CASAS, CASKS, CASUS, CAUKS, CAUMS, CAVAS, CAVUS, CAWKS, DACKS, DADAS, DADIS, DAFFS, DAHIS, DAMNS, DANGS, DANKS, DAUBS, DAUDS, DAWDS, DAWGS, DAWKS, DAWNS, FAFFS, FAIKS, FAINS, FANDS, FANGS, FANKS, FAUNS, FAVAS, FAVUS, FAWNS, GADIS, GAFFS, GAIDS, GAINS, GAMAS, GAMBS, GANGS, GANKS, GAUDS, GAUMS, GAWDS, GAWKS, HAAFS, HABUS, HACKS, HAFFS, HAGGS, HAHAS, HAIKS, HAINS, HAJIS, HAKAS, HAKUS, HANDS, HANGS, HANKS, HASKS, HAUDS, HAUFS, HAUNS, HAWKS, HAWMS, IAMBS, JACKS, JAFAS, JAGAS, JAGGS, JAMBS, JANNS, JAUKS, JAVAS, JAWNS, KACKS, KADIS, KAGUS, KAIDS, KAIFS, KAIKS, KAIMS, KAINS, KAKAS, KAKIS, KAMAS, KAMIS, KANAS, KANGS, KAVAS, KAWAS, KAZIS, MACAS, MACHS, MACKS, MAGAS, MAGGS, MAGUS, MAHIS, MAIDS, MAIKS, MAIMS, MAINS, MAJAS, MAKIS, MAMAS, MANAS, MANDS, MANGS, MANIS, MANKS, MANUS, MASAS, MASKS, MASUS, MAUDS, MAUMS, MAVIS, MAWKS, MAWNS, MAXIS, MAYAS, MAZAS, NAAMS, NAANS, NABIS, NABKS, NADAS, NAFFS, NAGAS, NAIBS, NAIDS, NAIFS, NAIKS, NAINS, NAKAS, NAMUS, NANAS, NASIS, NASUS, NAZIS, QADIS, QAIDS, SAAGS, SACKS, SADIS, SAGAS, SAICS, SAIDS, SAIMS, SAINS, SAKIS, SAMAS, SANDS, SANGS, SAYAS, VACAS, VADAS, VAGUS, VAIDS, VAKAS, VANGS, WAACS, WACKS, WADAS, WADDS, WADIS, WAFFS, WAIFS, WAINS, WAKAS, WAKFS, WAMUS, WANDS, WANGS, WANKS, WAQFS, WASMS, WAUKS, WAWAS, YABAS, YACKS, YAFFS, YAGIS, YANGS, YANKS, YAUDS, YAWNS, YAYAS, ZACKS, ZAMIS, ZAWNS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 18.385. Information: 2.689 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test MANKS against the 228 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    228 before → 18 after. This feedback leaves 18 candidates.

    All 18 surviving candidates

    MACAS, MACHS, MAGAS, MAGGS, MAGUS, MAHIS, MAIDS, MAIMS, MAJAS, MAMAS, MASAS, MASUS, MAUDS, MAUMS, MAVIS, MAXIS, MAYAS, MAZAS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 37.012. Information: 3.193 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test MAGAS against the 18 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    18 before → 9 after. This feedback leaves 9 candidates.

    All 9 surviving candidates

    MACHS, MAHIS, MAIDS, MAIMS, MASUS, MAUDS, MAUMS, MAVIS, MAXIS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 6.778. Information: 1.612 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  5. Test MAHIS against the 9 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    9 before → 1 after. The answer is submitted and solved.

    All 1 surviving candidates

    MAHIS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 2.111. Information: 2.197 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

Solved in 5 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 5.

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 → 492 after. This feedback leaves 492 candidates.

    All 492 surviving candidates

    AAPAS, BAALS, BAAPS, BABAS, BABUS, BACHS, BACKS, BAFFS, BAGHS, BAHUS, BAIKS, BAILS, BAJUS, BALAS, BALDS, BALKS, BALLS, BALMS, BALUS, BAMAS, BANCS, BANDS, BANGS, BANKS, BANNS, BAONS, BAPUS, BASAL, BASAN, BASAS, BASHA, BASHO, BASIC, BASIJ, BASIL, BASIN, BASIS, BASKS, BASON, BAUDS, BAUKS, BAWDS, BAWKS, BAWLS, BAWNS, BAYAS, BAZAS, CABAS, CACAS, CACKS, CADIS, CAFFS, CAIDS, CAINS, CALFS, CALKS, CALLS, CALMS, CALOS, CALPS, CAMAS, CAMIS, CAMOS, CAMPS, CAMUS, CANGS, CANNS, CAPAS, CAPHS, CAPOS, CASAS, CASCO, CASKS, CASKY, CASUS, CAUKS, CAULS, CAUMS, CAUPS, CAVAS, CAVUS, CAWKS, DAALS, DACKS, DADAS, DADIS, DADOS, DAFFS, DAGOS, DAHIS, DAHLS, DALIS, DAMNS, DAMPS, DANGS, DANKS, DASHI, DASHY, DAUBS, DAUDS, DAWDS, DAWGS, DAWKS, DAWNS, FADOS, FAFFS, FAIKS, FAILS, FAINS, FALLS, FANDS, FANGS, FANKS, FANOS, FASCI, FAUNS, FAVAS, FAVUS, FAWNS, GADIS, GAFFS, GAIDS, GAINS, GAJOS, GALAS, GALIS, GALLS, GAMAS, GAMBS, GAMPS, GANGS, GANKS, GAOLS, GAPOS, GASHY, GASPS, GASPY, GAUDS, GAUMS, GAUPS, GAWDS, GAWKS, GAWPS, HAAFS, HABUS, HACKS, HAFFS, HAGGS, HAHAS, HAIKS, HAILS, HAINS, HAJIS, HAKAS, HAKUS, HALFS, HALLS, HALMS, HALOS, HANDS, HANGS, HANKS, HAPAS, HAPUS, HASHY, HASKS, HASPS, HAUDS, HAUFS, HAULS, HAUNS, HAWKS, HAWMS, IAMBS, JAAPS, JACKS, JAFAS, JAGAS, JAGGS, JAILS, JAMBS, JANNS, JASPS, JAUKS, JAUPS, JAVAS, JAWNS, KACKS, KADIS, KAGOS, KAGUS, KAIDS, KAIFS, KAIKS, KAILS, KAIMS, KAINS, KAKAS, KAKIS, KALAS, KALIS, KAMAS, KAMIS, KANAS, KANGS, KAONS, KAPAS, KAPHS, KAPUS, KASHA, KAVAS, KAWAS, KAYOS, KAZIS, LABIS, LACIS, LACKS, LAICS, LAIDS, LAIKS, LAKHS, LALLS, LAMAS, LAMBS, LAMPS, LANAS, LANDS, LANKS, LAPAS, LAPIS, LAUDS, LAUFS, LAVAS, LAWKS, LAWNS, LAZOS, MACAS, MACHS, MACKS, MADOS, MAGAS, MAGGS, MAGUS, MAHIS, MAIDS, MAIKS, MAILS, MAIMS, MAINS, MAJAS, MAJOS, MAKIS, MAKOS, MALAS, MALIS, MALLS, MALMS, MALUS, MAMAS, MANAS, MANDS, MANGS, MANIS, MANKS, MANOS, MANUS, MASAS, MASHA, MASHY, MASKS, MASON, MASUS, MAUDS, MAULS, MAUMS, MAVIS, MAWKS, MAWNS, MAWPS, MAXIS, MAYAS, MAYOS, MAZAS, NAAMS, NAANS, NABIS, NABKS, NADAS, NAFFS, NAGAS, NAIBS, NAIDS, NAIFS, NAIKS, NAILS, NAINS, NAIOS, NAKAS, NALAS, NAMUS, NANAS, NANOS, NAPAS, NASAL, NASHI, NASHO, NASIS, NASON, NASUS, NAZIS, OAFOS, OASAL, OASIS, PAALS, PAANS, PACAS, PACKS, PACOS, PADAS, PADIS, PAHOS, PAHUS, PAIKS, PAILS, PAINS, PAIPS, PALAS, PALIS, PALLS, PALMS, PALPS, PALUS, PANDS, PANGS, PANKS, PAPAS, PASAG, PASCH, PASHA, PASHM, PASKA, PASMO, PASPY, PAUAS, PAULS, PAVAS, PAVIS, PAWAS, PAWKS, PAWLS, PAWNS, QADIS, QAIDS, SAAGS, SABAL, SABHA, SABIN, SABJI, SABOS, SABZI, SACKS, SADDO, SADDY, SADHU, SADIC, SADIS, SADLY, SADOS, SADZA, SAGAS, SAGGY, SAGOS, SAGUM, SAHAB, SAHIB, SAICK, SAICS, SAIDS, SAIGA, SAILS, SAIMS, SAINS, SAJOU, SAKAI, SAKIA, SAKIS, SALAD, SALAL, SALAS, SALIC, SALIS, SALIX, SALLY, SALMI, SALOL, SALON, SALOP, SALPA, SALPS, SALUD, SALVO, SAMAN, SAMAS, SAMBA, SAMBO, SAMFI, SAMFU, SAMMY, SAMPI, SAMPS, SANAD, SANDS, SANDY, SANGA, SANGH, SANGO, SANGS, SANKO, SAOLA, SAPAN, SAPID, SAPPY, SASIN, SAUBA, SAUCH, SAUCY, SAUGH, SAULS, SAUNA, SAUNF, SAVIN, SAVOY, SAVVY, SAWAH, SAYAS, SAYID, SAYON, VACAS, VADAS, VAGUS, VAIDS, VAILS, VAKAS, VALIS, VAMPS, VANGS, VASAL, WAACS, WACKS, WADAS, WADDS, WADIS, WAFFS, WAIFS, WAILS, WAINS, WAKAS, WAKFS, WALDS, WALIS, WALKS, WALLS, WAMUS, WANDS, WANGS, WANKS, WAQFS, WASHI, WASHY, WASMS, WASPS, WASPY, WAUKS, WAULS, WAWAS, WAWLS, YABAS, YACKS, YAFFS, YAGIS, YANGS, YANKS, YAPPS, YAUDS, YAUPS, YAWLS, YAWNS, YAWPS, YAYAS, ZACKS, ZAMIS, ZAWNS

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test PALIS against the 492 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    492 before → 26 after. This feedback leaves 26 candidates.

    All 26 surviving candidates

    BASIS, CADIS, CAMIS, DADIS, DAHIS, GADIS, HAJIS, KADIS, KAKIS, KAMIS, KAZIS, MAHIS, MAKIS, MANIS, MAVIS, MAXIS, NABIS, NASIS, NAZIS, OASIS, QADIS, SADIS, SAKIS, WADIS, YAGIS, ZAMIS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 19.34. Information: 2.481 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test SADIS against the 26 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    26 before → 14 after. This feedback leaves 14 candidates.

    All 14 surviving candidates

    CAMIS, HAJIS, KAKIS, KAMIS, KAZIS, MAHIS, MAKIS, MANIS, MAVIS, MAXIS, NABIS, NAZIS, YAGIS, ZAMIS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 8.048. Information: 1.953 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test MAKIS against the 14 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 4 surviving candidates

    MAHIS, MANIS, MAVIS, MAXIS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 2.857. Information: 2.522 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

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

    4 before → 1 after. The answer is submitted and solved.

    All 1 surviving candidates

    MAHIS

    Decision measures before feedback

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

Solved in 5 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 5.

Continue this board in the Solver

How the fixed opener panel performs on this answer

OpenerFirst feedbackSurvivorsNormalHard Mode
TARSE02010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)49255
CRANE00100 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)148444
SLATE10100 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)68555
ADIEU10100 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)55054
STARE10100 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)66255
AUDIO10020 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)23055
RAISE02110 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)7954
ROATE00100 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)140444
SALET12000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)46654
Normal mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 2 · 5 guesses: 7 · 6 guesses: 0 · Failed in six: 0
Hard Mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 5 · 5 guesses: 4 · 6 guesses: 0 · Failed in six: 0

The nine openers use the same pool and continuation policy. Across both modes: 4–5 guesses among successes; 0 of 18 configurations failed. This is performance on this answer, not an overall opener ranking.

28 openers set up a two-turn opportunity; examples include MIGHT, HABIT, MITCH, HAIRS, MATHS, HAILS, SAHIB, HAKIM, MACHI, APHID. 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 9 different answers at one later decision: MACHS, MAHIS, MAIDS, MAIMS, MASUS, MAUDS, MAUMS, MAVIS, MAXIS. 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: MACHS, MAHIS, MAIDS, MAIMS, MASUS, MAUDS, MAUMS, MAVIS, MAXIS.

A lesson from this route

Before MAHIS, 9 words still fit. Its feedback left 1; 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

MAHIS can come back 88 different ways. These are the most likely, and how many of the possible answers give each one:

444 answers
276 answers
231 answers
182 answers
151 answers
103 answers
94 answers
79 answers
63 answers
54 answers
51 answers
49 answers
46 answers
42 answers
37 answers
35 answers
34 answers
29 answers
28 answers
28 answers
24 answers
22 answers
18 answers
16 answers
15 answers
14 answers
14 answers
14 answers
14 answers
13 answers

Letter-value totals

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

Scrabble

M3A1H4I1S1
Total: 10 points

Words With Friends

Total: 10 points

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

Strategy after playing MAHIS

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

Quick reference

Largest feedback groups after playing MAHIS:

19% chance
Suggested:
DROLE
12% chance
Suggested:
ALERT
10% chance
Suggested:
TRINE

Follow-ups for common patterns

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

18.6% →
DROLE 5.93 bits
11.5% →
ALERT 5.49 bits
9.7% →
TRINE 5.39 bits
7.6% →
TONER 5.46 bits
6.3% →
RONTE 4.73 bits
4.3% →
CONTE 5.34 bits
3.9% →
REACT 4.83 bits
3.3% →
TRINE 4.55 bits
2.6% →
CLOTE 4.68 bits
2.3% →
TRICE 4.39 bits

Research on MAHIS

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

Optimal play

Opening with MAHIS, a proven-optimal strategy averages 3.73 guesses and ranks #6,748 of 14,855 legal openers. The best proven opener, TARSE, averages 3.55.

In hard mode it averages 3.85 guesses at best and is rank #2,818 of the 7,453 openers that can still guarantee a solve within six guesses.

Our six-turn simulation says 3.69, at or below the proven-optimal 3.73, 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).