What Makes a Good Wordle Starter?
The perfect Wordle starting word should contain common letters that appear frequently in English words. After analyzing thousands of games, experts have identified the key factors:
- Common vowels: E, A, O, I are the most frequent vowels in 5-letter words
- Common consonants: R, T, N, S, L appear in the most words
- No repeated letters: Maximize information in your first guess
Top 10 Wordle Starting Words
Based on mathematical analysis and expert player data, here are the best starting words:
1. CRANE
Often cited as the mathematically optimal choice. Contains C, R, A, N, E - all very common letters with good position variety.
2. SLATE
Another top performer with S, L, A, T, E covering extremely common letters. The S and T in particular appear in many word endings.
3. CRATE
Similar to CRANE but replaces N with T. Excellent for finding common patterns like _ATE endings.
4. TRACE
Tests T, R, A, C, E - all high-frequency letters. Good for uncovering -ACE and -ATE patterns.
5. AUDIO
The vowel-heavy option testing 4 vowels (A, U, I, O) in one guess. Perfect when you want to identify vowel positions early.
6. ADIEU
Another 4-vowel word (A, I, E, U). Less common in actual answers but excellent for information gathering.
7. STARE
Popular choice with S, T, A, R, E. The ST- beginning is common in English words.
8. SALET
According to some analyses, this is the true optimal first guess. S, A, L, E, T covers high-frequency letters efficiently.
9. ROATE
Recommended by 3Blue1Brown's mathematical analysis. Covers R, O, A, T, E with excellent letter frequency.
10. RAISE
A solid choice with R, A, I, S, E testing two vowels and three very common consonants.
Second Word Strategy
Your second word should use completely different letters to maximize information. Good second word pairs include:
- CRANE → STILO: Tests S, T, I, L, O (no overlap)
- SLATE → CRONY: Tests C, R, O, N, Y
- AUDIO → STERN: Tests S, T, E, R, N
Hard Mode Strategy
In Hard Mode, you must use revealed hints in subsequent guesses. This changes the optimal strategy:
- Starting words that don't box you into corners are better
- Words with common patterns like -IGHT, -OUND, -ATCH are risky starters
- CRANE and SALET remain strong choices
Use Our Wordle Solver
Stuck mid-game? Our Wordle Solver helps you find remaining possibilities based on your green, yellow, and gray letters!