Best Wordle starting words
The top opener by this measure is TARSE.
Ranked by testing every opener against every original answer.
These tables are computed from Wordle's original list of 2,315 answers. A ★ marks a word that was itself an answer, so it can win on the first try.
Best single openers by information
For each opener, every one of the 2,315 answers was scored to see what pattern of green, yellow and gray tiles it would produce. A higher number of bits means the opener splits the answers into more, smaller groups. The last column is the average number of answers still possible after the first guess (lower is better).
| Opener | Bits of information | Answers left, on average |
|---|---|---|
| TARSE | 5.95 | 66 |
| TIARE | 5.93 | 61 |
| SOARE | 5.89 | 62 |
| ROATE | 5.88 | 60 |
| RAISE ★ | 5.88 | 61 |
| RAILE | 5.87 | 61 |
| REAST | 5.87 | 72 |
| SLATE ★ | 5.86 | 72 |
| CRATE ★ | 5.83 | 73 |
| SALET | 5.83 | 71 |
| IRATE ★ | 5.83 | 64 |
| TRACE ★ | 5.83 | 74 |
| SATER | 5.82 | 69 |
| ARISE ★ | 5.82 | 64 |
| ORATE | 5.82 | 64 |
| STARE ★ | 5.81 | 71 |
| CARTE | 5.79 | 74 |
| RAINE | 5.79 | 67 |
| RANSE | 5.78 | 68 |
| CARET | 5.78 | 76 |
| ARIEL | 5.78 | 65 |
| TALER | 5.77 | 68 |
| CARLE | 5.77 | 75 |
| SLANE | 5.77 | 74 |
| SNARE ★ | 5.77 | 71 |
Openers that cover the most common letters
This ranks words with five different letters by how many answers contain each of those letters.
| Opener | Answers that share a letter (sum) |
|---|---|
| OATER | 4,142 |
| ORATE | 4,142 |
| ROATE | 4,142 |
| REALO | 4,123 |
| ALERT ★ | 4,117 |
| ALTER ★ | 4,117 |
| ARTEL | 4,117 |
| LATER ★ | 4,117 |
| RATEL | 4,117 |
| TALER | 4,117 |
| IRATE ★ | 4,116 |
| RETIA | 4,116 |
| TERAI | 4,116 |
| TIARE | 4,116 |
| ARIEL | 4,097 |
| RAILE | 4,097 |
| AEROS | 4,093 |
| AROSE ★ | 4,093 |
| SOARE | 4,093 |
| ARETS | 4,087 |
Best two-word openers
Two words that use ten different letters between them, ranked by the same letter coverage score.
| Pair | Coverage score |
|---|
What to do after the first guess
Keep green letters where they are, move yellow letters to new spots, and pick a word that fits every clue so far. When only a few words remain, a word that tests the differing letters can beat a word that merely could be right: open the solver and it will suggest the guess that splits the remaining words best.