Your opening word sets the tone for the entire game. The best starting words maximize letter coverage, prioritize common letters, and test multiple vowel positions.
Based on analysis of all past Wordle answers, here are the top starting words ranked by expected information gain:
Word
Score
Why It Works
SLATE
9.4/10
Top-frequency consonants + 2 vowels in common positions
CRANE
9.2/10
Covers C, R, A, N, E -- all extremely common
TRACE
9.1/10
Tests T in position 1 and E in position 5, both very frequent
CRATE
9.0/10
Similar to CRANE with T instead of N for position testing
STARE
8.9/10
S-start words are the most common Wordle answer pattern
Pro tip: After your first guess, choose a second word that tests completely different letters. SLATE followed by CRONY covers 10 unique letters in just two guesses.
The Elimination Strategy
7 min readIntermediateUpdated March 2026
Instead of guessing words you think might be the answer, use your early guesses to eliminate as many letters as possible. This systematic approach consistently leads to solving in 3-4 guesses.
Example elimination sequence:
S
L
A
T
E
From this result, you know: S is in position 1, A is in the word but not position 3, and L/T/E are not in the word. Your next guess should test new consonants while placing A in a different position.
S
O
A
P
Y
Now you know S is position 1, P is position 4, A is not in positions 3 or 4. Only a handful of words match: SHARP, STRAP... With smart elimination, the answer becomes clear.
Key Takeaways
Use the first 2 guesses to test 10 different letters
Prioritize common consonants: R, S, T, N, L, C, D
Test vowels in different positions across guesses
By guess 3, you should know enough to solve or narrow to 2-3 options
Pattern Recognition
6 min readIntermediateUpdated March 2026
Certain letter combinations and word patterns appear far more often in Wordle answers than others. Learning these patterns gives you an edge when deciding between possible answers.
Common patterns in Wordle answers:
Pattern
Frequency
Examples
_IGHT
High
LIGHT, MIGHT, NIGHT, RIGHT, SIGHT, TIGHT
_OUND
High
BOUND, FOUND, MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, WOUND
SH___
High
SHAKE, SHAME, SHAPE, SHARE, SHARK, SHARP
_ATCH
Medium
BATCH, CATCH, HATCH, LATCH, MATCH, WATCH
_OWER
Medium
BOWER, LOWER, MOWER, POWER, TOWER, DOWER
Remember: Wordle avoids obscure words. If you are stuck between a common word and a rare one, always guess the more common option first.
When to Guess vs Eliminate
4 min readAdvancedUpdated March 2026
The biggest decision in Wordle is knowing when to go for the answer versus when to use a guess to gather more information. Here is a simple decision framework:
Decision Framework
Guess 1-2: Always eliminate. Cover as many letters as possible.
Guess 3 with 1-2 options: Go for the answer.
Guess 3 with 3+ options: Consider one more elimination guess.
Guess 4+: Start guessing. You need to commit.
Guess 5-6: Always go for the answer. No more elimination guesses.
The exception: if you are on a long streak and want to protect it, you may want to play more conservatively on guess 3, using an elimination word even with 2 options to guarantee solving by guess 5.