Your first guess in Wordle is the only move you make with zero information — so it should do the most work possible. A great opener tests the letters most likely to appear in the answer and rules out as many words as it can in one shot.
What makes a good opener
The five most common letters in everyday English are E, A, R, O and T, closely followed by L, I, S, N and C. A strong starting word should use several of these high-frequency letters, keep them in plausible positions, and avoid repeats so you cover five distinct letters at once.
- CRANE — tests C, R, A, N, E, five of the most useful letters
- SLATE — strong on S, L, A, T, E and a great fallback
- CRATE, TRACE and AROSE are all excellent for the same reason
Should you change your opener every day?
Most players do better with one trusted opener they know well, because it lets them focus on reading the result instead of second-guessing the start. Pick a word like CRANE or SLATE, learn how its clues tend to play out, and keep it.
Pairing two openers
If you like to play it safe, plan a second word that covers the letters your first one missed. After CRANE, a word like MOIST tests M, O, I, S and T — between the two you've sampled ten different common letters before you commit to an answer.
Try your favourite opener on today's puzzle and see how many words it eliminates. Over a week you'll notice your average guess count drop.
