Top 15 starting words you already know
These everyday words are expected to cut the list of possible answers the most. “Words left” is how many candidates remain on average after the first guess — lower is better.
| # | Word | Info | Words left (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | raise | 5.98 bits | ~193 |
| 2 | slate | 5.92 bits | ~225 |
| 3 | stare | 5.91 bits | ~217 |
| 4 | rates | 5.90 bits | ~189 |
| 5 | arise | 5.89 bits | ~215 |
| 6 | snare | 5.88 bits | ~217 |
| 7 | irate | 5.83 bits | ~264 |
| 8 | arose | 5.83 bits | ~217 |
| 9 | carte | 5.83 bits | ~293 |
| 10 | crate | 5.82 bits | ~314 |
| 11 | least | 5.81 bits | ~253 |
| 12 | trace | 5.81 bits | ~319 |
| 13 | tries | 5.80 bits | ~223 |
| 14 | stale | 5.80 bits | ~236 |
| 15 | ariel | 5.79 bits | ~253 |
Notice the pattern: the best openers combine the vowels A and E with the most common consonants R, S, T and L. Try any of them in the Wordle Helper to see exactly what each color pattern leaves behind.
Popular openers compared
Many players start with vowel-heavy words like ADIEU or AUDIO. They feel productive, but vowels are present in almost every word, so learning about them tells you less than testing common consonants.
| # | Word | Info | Words left (avg.) | Overall rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | raise | 5.98 bits | ~193 | 2 / 8,608 |
| 2 | slate | 5.92 bits | ~225 | 4 / 8,608 |
| 3 | stare | 5.91 bits | ~217 | 5 / 8,608 |
| 4 | arise | 5.89 bits | ~215 | 8 / 8,608 |
| 5 | crate | 5.82 bits | ~314 | 24 / 8,608 |
| 6 | least | 5.81 bits | ~253 | 25 / 8,608 |
| 7 | trace | 5.81 bits | ~319 | 26 / 8,608 |
| 8 | crane | 5.74 bits | ~329 | 47 / 8,608 |
| 9 | house | 5.11 bits | ~424 | 1,460 / 8,608 |
| 10 | adieu | 4.90 bits | ~440 | 2,507 / 8,608 |
| 11 | audio | 4.62 bits | ~654 | 4,096 / 8,608 |
Highest-scoring words overall
If you don't mind obscure (but valid) words, these score slightly higher still. The difference to the top everyday words is small, so pick whichever you'll remember.
| # | Word | Info | Words left (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tares | 5.98 bits | ~185 |
| 2 | raise | 5.98 bits | ~193 |
| 3 | tears | 5.93 bits | ~209 |
| 4 | slate | 5.92 bits | ~225 |
| 5 | stare | 5.91 bits | ~217 |
| 6 | saner | 5.90 bits | ~196 |
| 7 | rates | 5.90 bits | ~189 |
| 8 | arise | 5.89 bits | ~215 |
| 9 | lares | 5.88 bits | ~181 |
| 10 | snare | 5.88 bits | ~217 |
Best starting word for every letter
Want variety or a themed opener? These are the highest-scoring common words for each first letter.
How we ranked them
A good first guess is one whose colors are unpredictable: if every color pattern is about equally likely, whichever one you get rules out most of the list. We measure this with expected information in bits — each extra bit roughly halves the number of words left. Answers are weighted by how common they are in everyday English, since puzzle answers tend to be familiar words.
After your opener, follow up with the second-guess strategy or let the Wordle Solver rank your next move.