Very unlikely Accepted guess B tier for first-turn info

WETAS

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

Meaning and pronunciation

Noun

plural of weta

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

Use WETAS in a puzzle

As an opener, it rules out about 94.4% 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 WETAS performs as a guess

Wordle accepts WETAS 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 86.7% of games, misses completely in 13.3%, and leaves about 133 possible answers on average.

In the previous complete opener benchmark, it ranks #5,233 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.

First-turn measures

All four describe WETAS 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.

4.96 Entropy (bits)
133 Avg remaining
0.0% Exact match
94.4% Avg ruled out

As an opening guess: previous benchmark

How WETAS 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
0.67 Spread of game lengths
#5,233 Rank among openers
Opening with WETAS left 1 of the snapshot's answers unsolved after six guesses. A spread of 0.67 means those games clustered within about 0.67 of a guess of the 3.67 average. It ranks #5,233 of 14,855 openers by average guesses in games solved within six.
1 guess
0
2 guesses
64
3 guesses
842
4 guesses
1,255
5 guesses
182
6 guesses
10

Composition

5/5 unique
2 vowels
Common:
AEST

Feedback chances

Any hit (G/Y)
87%
Green tile
24%
All gray
13%

When WETAS is useful later

WETAS 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 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, WETAS 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 WETAS

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 → 41 after. This feedback leaves 41 candidates.

    All 41 surviving candidates

    ABETS, ANTES, ASHET, ASSET, BEATS, BESAT, BETAS, CESTA, ETATS, ETNAS, FEATS, FESTA, FETAS, GEATS, GETAS, HEATS, JEATS, KETAS, LEATS, MEATS, METAS, NEATS, NETAS, PEATS, PESTA, SCEAT, SEATS, SEPTA, SETAL, SPEAT, STEAD, STEAK, STEAL, STEAM, STEAN, STELA, SWEAT, USETA, VESTA, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test SETAL against the 41 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 8 surviving candidates

    BETAS, FETAS, GETAS, KETAS, METAS, NETAS, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.323. Information: 0.437 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test BANES against the 8 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 6 surviving candidates

    FETAS, GETAS, KETAS, METAS, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 4.75. Information: 1.061 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

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

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

    All 4 surviving candidates

    FETAS, KETAS, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

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

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

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

    All 3 surviving candidates

    KETAS, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

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

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

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

    All 2 surviving candidates

    WETAS, ZETAS

    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 → 41 after. This feedback leaves 41 candidates.

    All 41 surviving candidates

    ABETS, ANTES, ASHET, ASSET, BEATS, BESAT, BETAS, CESTA, ETATS, ETNAS, FEATS, FESTA, FETAS, GEATS, GETAS, HEATS, JEATS, KETAS, LEATS, MEATS, METAS, NEATS, NETAS, PEATS, PESTA, SCEAT, SEATS, SEPTA, SETAL, SPEAT, STEAD, STEAK, STEAL, STEAM, STEAN, STELA, SWEAT, USETA, VESTA, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  2. Test SETAL against the 41 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 8 surviving candidates

    BETAS, FETAS, GETAS, KETAS, METAS, NETAS, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 1.323. Information: 0.437 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  3. Test BETAS against the 8 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

    8 before → 7 after. This feedback leaves 7 candidates.

    All 7 surviving candidates

    FETAS, GETAS, KETAS, METAS, NETAS, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 6.25. Information: 0.544 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  4. Test FETAS against the 7 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 6 surviving candidates

    GETAS, KETAS, METAS, NETAS, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 5.286. Information: 0.592 bits. These measures describe the decision before its realised feedback.

  5. Test GETAS against the 6 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 5 surviving candidates

    KETAS, METAS, NETAS, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

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

  6. Test KETAS against the 5 candidates consistent with the earlier rows.

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

    All 4 surviving candidates

    METAS, NETAS, WETAS, ZETAS

    Decision measures before feedback

    Expected remaining candidates: 3.4. Information: 0.722 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
TARSE11011 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)41Not solved in sixNot solved in six
CRANE00101 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)505Not solved in sixNot solved in six
SLATE10111 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)43Not solved in sixNot solved in six
ADIEU10010 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)775Not solved in sixNot solved in six
STARE11101 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)476Not solved in six
AUDIO10000 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)2513Not solved in sixNot solved in six
RAISE01011 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)200Not solved in sixNot solved in six
ROATE00111 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)125Not solved in sixNot solved in six
SALET11011 (0 grey, 1 yellow, 2 green)37Not 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: 1 · Failed in six: 8
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: 6–6 guesses among successes; 17 of 18 configurations failed. This is performance on this answer, not an overall opener ranking.

55 openers set up a two-turn opportunity; examples include WATER, WATCH, WANTS, WASTE, SWEAT, WEARS, WHEAT, STRAW, WAIST, WHATS. 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: BETAS, FETAS, GETAS, KETAS, METAS, NETAS, WETAS, ZETAS. 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: BETAS, FETAS, GETAS, KETAS, METAS, NETAS, WETAS, ZETAS.

A lesson from this route

Before BANES, 8 words still fit. Its feedback left 6; 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

WETAS can come back 99 different ways. These are the most likely, and how many of the possible answers give each one:

317 answers
266 answers
221 answers
135 answers
120 answers
111 answers
93 answers
93 answers
77 answers
72 answers
71 answers
67 answers
53 answers
41 answers
34 answers
34 answers
31 answers
27 answers
25 answers
24 answers
23 answers
22 answers
21 answers
20 answers
20 answers
19 answers
18 answers
17 answers
16 answers
15 answers

Letter-value totals

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

Scrabble

W4E1T1A1S1
Total: 8 points

Words With Friends

Total: 8 points

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

Strategy after playing WETAS

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

Quick reference

Largest feedback groups after playing WETAS:

13% chance
Suggested:
COULD
11% chance
Suggested:
IRONE
9% chance
Suggested:
CAIRN

Follow-ups for common patterns

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

13.3% →
COULD 5.59 bits
11.1% →
IRONE 5.15 bits
9.2% →
CAIRN 5.17 bits
5.6% →
LARGE 4.73 bits
5.0% →
TROUT 5.05 bits
4.6% →
SPUNK 4.83 bits
3.9% →
SPIRE 4.81 bits
3.9% →
GENRE 4.14 bits
3.2% →
SHOUT 4.34 bits
3.0% →
SCALP 4.51 bits

Research on WETAS

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

Optimal play

Opening with WETAS, a proven-optimal strategy averages 3.71 guesses and ranks #5,650 of 14,855 legal openers. The best proven opener, TARSE, averages 3.55.

No guaranteed hard-mode solve In hard mode, no strategy that opens with WETAS can guarantee a solve within six guesses.

Our six-turn simulation says 3.67, at or below the proven-optimal 3.71, 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).