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

SOWCE

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

Meaning and pronunciation

Noun

Obsolete form of souse.

Verb

Obsolete form of souse.

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

Use SOWCE in a puzzle

As an opener, it rules out about 93.6% of possible answers.

Open Solver with SOWCE 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 SOWCE performs as a guess

Wordle accepts SOWCE 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 84.5% of games, misses completely in 15.5%, and leaves about 153 possible answers on average.

In the previous complete opener benchmark, it ranks #5,880 of 14,855 openers, averaging 3.68 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.

S___E S in the 1st position and E in the 5th position S__C_ S in the 1st position and C in the 4th position _O__E O in the 2nd position and E in the 5th position SO_CE S in the 1st position, O in the 2nd position, C in the 4th position, and E in the 5th position

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

First-turn measures

All four describe SOWCE 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.

4.89 Entropy (bits)
153 Avg remaining
0.0% Exact match
93.6% Avg ruled out

As an opening guess: previous benchmark

How SOWCE 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.

3.68 Avg guesses
99.92% Solved within six
0.70 Spread of game lengths
#5,880 Rank among openers
Opening with SOWCE left 2 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 3.68 average. It ranks #5,880 of 14,855 openers by average guesses in games solved within six.
1 guess
0
2 guesses
64
3 guesses
864
4 guesses
1,192
5 guesses
216
6 guesses
16

Composition

5/5 unique
2 vowels
Common:
EOS

Feedback chances

Any hit (G/Y)
84%
Green tile
45%
All gray
16%

When SOWCE is useful later

SOWCE tied for the smallest expected survivor count in 1 of 54 sampled positions where it was legal. This designed sample is not a measure of how often real players should use it.

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, SOWCE 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 SOWCE

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 → 97 after. This feedback leaves 97 candidates.

    All 97 surviving candidates

    BESEE, BOSIE, COSIE, DISME, ENSUE, ESILE, FUSEE, GUSLE, INSEE, ISSUE, LISLE, MESNE, MUSEE, MYSIE, OSONE, PUSLE, SCENE, SCOBE, SCONE, SCOPE, SEDGE, SEGUE, SEINE, SEIZE, SELLE, SEMEE, SEMIE, SHINE, SHIVE, SHMOE, SHONE, SHOPE, SHOVE, SHULE, SIDHE, SIDLE, SIEGE, SIEVE, SINCE, SINGE, SKENE, SKIVE, SKOBE, SLICE, SLIDE, SLIME, SLIPE, SLIVE, SLOPE, SLOVE, SLYPE, SMEKE, SMILE, SMIZE, SMOKE, SNIDE, SNIPE, SNIVE, SNOKE, SOCLE, SOLDE, SOLVE, SONCE, SONDE, SONNE, SOOLE, SOUCE, SOWCE, SOWLE, SOWNE, SOYLE, SPICE, SPIDE, SPIKE, SPILE, SPINE, SPODE, SPOKE, SPULE, SPUME, SQUEE, SUEDE, SUJEE, SWEDE, SWILE, SWINE, SWIPE, SWIVE, SWOLE, SYBBE, SYBOE, SYCEE, UNSEE, UPSEE, USQUE, VISIE, VISNE

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test SIEVE against the 97 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    97 before → 30 after. This feedback leaves 30 candidates.

    All 30 surviving candidates

    SCOBE, SCONE, SCOPE, SHMOE, SHONE, SHOPE, SHULE, SKOBE, SLOPE, SLYPE, SMOKE, SNOKE, SOCLE, SOLDE, SONCE, SONDE, SONNE, SOOLE, SOUCE, SOWCE, SOWLE, SOWNE, SOYLE, SPODE, SPOKE, SPULE, SPUME, SWOLE, SYBBE, SYBOE

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 6.972. Information: 2.789 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test SLOPE against the 30 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    30 before → 8 after. This feedback leaves 8 candidates.

    All 8 surviving candidates

    SHMOE, SONCE, SONDE, SONNE, SOUCE, SOWCE, SOWNE, SYBOE

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.604. Information: 1.224 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test SOWNE against the 8 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    8 before → 1 after. This feedback leaves 1 candidate.

    All 1 surviving candidates

    SOWCE

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.5. Information: 2.5 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  5. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    SOWCE

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.0. Information: 0.0 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

Solved in 5 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 4.

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 → 97 after. This feedback leaves 97 candidates.

    All 97 surviving candidates

    BESEE, BOSIE, COSIE, DISME, ENSUE, ESILE, FUSEE, GUSLE, INSEE, ISSUE, LISLE, MESNE, MUSEE, MYSIE, OSONE, PUSLE, SCENE, SCOBE, SCONE, SCOPE, SEDGE, SEGUE, SEINE, SEIZE, SELLE, SEMEE, SEMIE, SHINE, SHIVE, SHMOE, SHONE, SHOPE, SHOVE, SHULE, SIDHE, SIDLE, SIEGE, SIEVE, SINCE, SINGE, SKENE, SKIVE, SKOBE, SLICE, SLIDE, SLIME, SLIPE, SLIVE, SLOPE, SLOVE, SLYPE, SMEKE, SMILE, SMIZE, SMOKE, SNIDE, SNIPE, SNIVE, SNOKE, SOCLE, SOLDE, SOLVE, SONCE, SONDE, SONNE, SOOLE, SOUCE, SOWCE, SOWLE, SOWNE, SOYLE, SPICE, SPIDE, SPIKE, SPILE, SPINE, SPODE, SPOKE, SPULE, SPUME, SQUEE, SUEDE, SUJEE, SWEDE, SWILE, SWINE, SWIPE, SWIVE, SWOLE, SYBBE, SYBOE, SYCEE, UNSEE, UPSEE, USQUE, VISIE, VISNE

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test SIEVE against the 97 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    97 before → 30 after. This feedback leaves 30 candidates.

    All 30 surviving candidates

    SCOBE, SCONE, SCOPE, SHMOE, SHONE, SHOPE, SHULE, SKOBE, SLOPE, SLYPE, SMOKE, SNOKE, SOCLE, SOLDE, SONCE, SONDE, SONNE, SOOLE, SOUCE, SOWCE, SOWLE, SOWNE, SOYLE, SPODE, SPOKE, SPULE, SPUME, SWOLE, SYBBE, SYBOE

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 6.972. Information: 2.789 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test SLOPE against the 30 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    30 before → 8 after. This feedback leaves 8 candidates.

    All 8 surviving candidates

    SHMOE, SONCE, SONDE, SONNE, SOUCE, SOWCE, SOWNE, SYBOE

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.604. Information: 1.224 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test SOWNE against the 8 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    8 before → 1 after. This feedback leaves 1 candidate.

    All 1 surviving candidates

    SOWCE

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.5. Information: 2.5 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  5. Submit the only remaining candidate.

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

    All 1 surviving candidates

    SOWCE

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.0. Information: 0.0 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

Solved in 5 guesses. Uniquely identified on turn 4.

Continue this board in the Solver

How the fixed opener panel performs on this answer

OpenerFirst feedbackSurvivorsNormalHard Mode
TARSE00012 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)9755
CRANE10002 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)4255
SLATE20002 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)8366
ADIEU00010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)128255
STARE20002 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)8366
AUDIO00001 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)178455
RAISE00012 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)8555
ROATE02002 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)18355
SALET20010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)16555
Normal mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 0 · 5 guesses: 7 · 6 guesses: 2 · Failed in six: 0
Hard Mode
1 guess: 0 · 2 guesses: 0 · 3 guesses: 0 · 4 guesses: 0 · 5 guesses: 7 · 6 guesses: 2 · Failed in six: 0

The nine openers use the same pool and continuation policy. Across both modes: 5–6 guesses among successes; 0 of 18 configurations failed. This is performance on this answer, not an overall opener ranking.

39 openers set up a two-turn opportunity; examples include WATCH, TWICE, SCREW, CREWS, CROWS, COWAN, WINCE, WICCA, COWER, WILCO. 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 8 different answers at one later decision: SHMOE, SONCE, SONDE, SONNE, SOUCE, SOWCE, SOWNE, SYBOE. 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: SHMOE, SONCE, SONDE, SONNE, SOUCE, SOWCE, SOWNE, SYBOE.

A lesson from this route

Before SOWNE, 8 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

SOWCE can come back 95 different ways. These are the most likely, and how many of the possible answers give each one:

371 answers
326 answers
173 answers
156 answers
125 answers
106 answers
88 answers
83 answers
54 answers
53 answers
48 answers
47 answers
39 answers
37 answers
35 answers
34 answers
34 answers
31 answers
30 answers
27 answers
27 answers
25 answers
25 answers
22 answers
20 answers
20 answers
18 answers
16 answers
15 answers
14 answers

Letter-value totals

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

Scrabble

S1O1W4C3E1
Total: 10 points

Words With Friends

Total: 11 points

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

Try next

TRAIL ALTER RAILE ABORT SLANT LAIRY

Strategy after playing SOWCE

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

Quick reference

Largest feedback groups after playing SOWCE:

16% chance
Suggested:
TRAIL
14% chance
Suggested:
ALTER
7% chance
Suggested:
RAILE

Follow-ups for common patterns

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

15.5% →
TRAIL 5.92 bits
13.6% →
ALTER 5.39 bits
7.2% →
RAILE 4.51 bits
6.5% →
ABORT 5.13 bits
5.2% →
SLANT 4.72 bits
4.4% →
LAIRY 4.11 bits
3.7% →
CAIRN 5.18 bits
3.5% →
ARTSY 4.65 bits
2.3% →
PATER 4.21 bits
2.2% →
TUILE 3.88 bits

Research on SOWCE

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

Optimal play

Opening with SOWCE, a proven-optimal strategy averages 3.69 guesses and ranks #3,983 of 14,855 legal openers. The best proven opener, TARSE, averages 3.55.

In hard mode it averages 3.83 guesses at best and is rank #2,264 of the 7,453 openers that can still guarantee a solve within six guesses.

Our six-turn simulation says 3.68, at or below the proven-optimal 3.69, 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).