The Best Opening Wordle Word is SAINE

Do you want to improve your Wordle skills and impress your friends? Well, look no further because no one else cares what you score. Do it for yourself.

If you’re like me and overanalyze everything then you’ve probably wondered, “what is the best word to start Wordle with?”. It’s a very important question in our modern, digital age and I decided to answer it with code, spreadsheets, and math.

Note: I tuned the algorithm since writing this article. Check out my revised answer: The Best Opening Wordle Word might be SOARE, or SALET, or something else

Overview

The best word to start the PowerLanguage Wordle puzzle is “SAINE”. All the letters in the word SAINE are within the top 9 overall letters and, more importantly, within the top 2 letters for their given position.

SAINE is not a possible solution word, so using it will preclude you from getting a 1/6. SLATE is the best word that comes with a 0.043% chance to guess the correct word on the first row. Your choice.

The absolute worst word to start with is “IMSHI”… so don’t do that.

Letter Frequencies

Methodology

I pulled the complete list of possible Wordle answers from the JavaScript file (https://www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/main.[build].js) and parsed the words for their overall letter frequency and letter frequency in any given position (1–5). I used PHP because it was convenient for me. The same method would result in the same data with any programming language.

There are 2,315 solution words and 10,657 accepted words. I iterated over each word and scored them by their letters in the given positions.

For example: SAREE had a score of 1575 (366+304+163+318+424)

Technically, SAREE is the highest scoring word possible. However, it and the next two words had duplicate letters so I ruled them out. SAINE is the highest value word with no duplicate letters.

Top 25 words (* indicates the word is not a solution word)

SAREE* = 1575
SOOEY* = 1571
SOREE* = 1550
SAINE* = 1542
SOARE* = 1528
SAICE* = 1512
SEASE* = 1510
SEARE* = 1491
SLANE* = 1480
SEINE* = 1480
SOOLE* = 1475
SIREE* = 1473
SEISE* = 1469
COOEE* = 1463
SOOTE* = 1452
SOILY* = 1437
SLATE = 1437
SOAVE* = 1422
SAMEY* = 1413
SAUCE = 1411
SEMEE* = 1411
SLICE = 1409
SEAME* = 1407
SOUSE* = 1405
SHALE = 1403

These are the top 100 words from the solutions list:

SLATE = 1437
SAUCE = 1411
SLICE = 1409
SHALE = 1403
SAUTE = 1398
SHARE = 1393
SOOTY = 1392
SHINE = 1382
SUITE = 1381
CRANE = 1378
SAINT = 1371
SOAPY = 1366
SHONE = 1360
SHIRE = 1352
SAUCY = 1351
SLAVE = 1344
SENSE = 1342
CEASE = 1342
SANER = 1339
STALE = 1336
SNARE = 1336
CRATE = 1335
SPREE = 1332
SHORE = 1330
SUAVE = 1329
SLIDE = 1326
STARE = 1326
SLIME = 1325
SORRY = 1324
BRACE = 1323
SHINY = 1322
GOOEY = 1320
SEIZE = 1318
SLEET = 1315
CRONE = 1315
STATE = 1313
BRINE = 1312
SCREE = 1311
SPARE = 1310
SHADE = 1310
SPACE = 1310
SLANT = 1309
SHAME = 1309
SALLY = 1308
SPINE = 1299
TRACE = 1299
SCALE = 1299
SHAKE = 1296
STONE = 1293
TEASE = 1293
SHAPE = 1291
SCARE = 1289
SHAVE = 1287
SALTY = 1285
SASSY = 1285
SLOPE = 1285
SINCE = 1283
SWINE = 1282
POISE = 1282
SNORE = 1273
BONEY = 1273
STOLE = 1273
SADLY = 1271
RAISE = 1270
SPIRE = 1269
SPICE = 1269
ARISE = 1269
PEACE = 1267
GRACE = 1265
SLIMY = 1265
STORE = 1263
CAUSE = 1262
CRIER = 1261
PRONE = 1259
TRICE = 1258
SHEET = 1258
BLARE = 1257
SPITE = 1256
SMILE = 1256
SCONE = 1256
PLANE = 1256
CRONY = 1255
SALVE = 1252
BRINY = 1252
GRATE = 1252
CAGEY = 1251
PRICE = 1251
STAGE = 1250
SHADY = 1250
CLONE = 1249
PROSE = 1248
AROSE = 1247
SPORE = 1247
SKATE = 1246
SIEGE = 1245
TRITE = 1245
SURER = 1245
CHASE = 1244
CRAVE = 1242
SANDY = 1242