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The best starting words for Word Guess, at every length
We tested every possible opener against the real answer lists used by our 4, 5, 6 and 7-letter Word Guess games. Here is what the numbers say, and how to use them.
How we measured "best"
Most starting-word lists online are based on general English letter counts or on another game's answers. Ours are based on the exact answer lists our games pick from: 797 four-letter words, 858 five-letter words, 1,098 six-letter words and 1,099 seven-letter words. For each length we:
- Counted how many answers contain each letter.
- Scored every answer word with no repeated letters by adding up how common its letters are, plus a small bonus for letters in their most common positions (for example S at the start or E at the end).
- Checked each top word against every answer to see two things: how often it finds at least one letter, and how many of the answer's letters it reveals on average.
5 letters (the classic game)
| Opener | Finds at least one letter | Letters revealed on average |
|---|---|---|
| STARE | 92% of answers | 1.93 |
| IRATE | 95% | 1.94 |
| ARISE | 94% | 1.88 |
| AROSE | 93% | 1.88 |
| TRACE | 93% | 1.85 |
| CRANE (popular choice) | 91% | 1.76 |
| ADIEU (vowel-heavy) | 94% | 1.54 |
| FUZZY (for comparison) | 36% | 0.42 |
What this shows: vowel-heavy openers like ADIEU almost always hit something, but they reveal fewer letters overall because U and I are less common than R, T and S. Words that mix two or three top vowels with R, S and T give the best of both. STARE and IRATE are our picks.
Best second guess after STARE: a word with five new letters such as CHILD, CLOUD or LOGIC. Together, STARE + CHILD test ten different letters, including eight of the ten most common letters in our list.
4 letters
| Opener | Finds at least one letter | Letters revealed on average |
|---|---|---|
| TALE | 82% | 1.25 |
| LATE | 82% | 1.25 |
| RATE | 80% | 1.24 |
| LANE | 82% | 1.22 |
| JUMP (for comparison) | 36% | 0.40 |
Four-letter words have less room for letters, so even the best opener misses completely about one time in five. Follow TALE with IRON, HORN or CORN to test O, R, N and I. Watch out for families like -ACK, -ALL and -INE: in our list, 28 answers end in -LL and 21 in -CK.
6 letters
| Opener | Finds at least one letter | Letters revealed on average |
|---|---|---|
| RETAIN | 99% | 2.64 |
| RETAIL | 99% | 2.61 |
| RENTAL | 99% | 2.60 |
| LINEAR | 99% | 2.59 |
| RHYTHM (for comparison) | 83% | 1.27 |
At six letters, a good opener almost never comes up empty. The challenge moves from finding letters to placing them. Follow RETAIN with CLOUDS to test six fresh letters, including O and U. Remember that half of all six-letter answers repeat a letter.
7 letters
| Opener | Finds at least one letter | Letters revealed on average |
|---|---|---|
| TEARING | 100% | 3.29 |
| GRANITE | 100% | 3.29 |
| CERTAIN | 100% | 3.29 |
| RESTING | 100% | 3.13 |
| SEATING | 100% | 3.11 |
Every one of these finds at least one letter in every seven-letter answer, and on average reveals more than three. TEARING also tests the -ING ending, which appears in 16% of answers. A good follow-up is UPHOLDS or SLOUCHY.
Five rules that matter more than your first word
- Don't reuse gray letters. Every gray letter you play again is a wasted slot.
- Move your yellows. A yellow letter is in the word but not in that spot. Put it somewhere new.
- Expect doubles. From 18% of four-letter answers to 66% of seven-letter answers repeat a letter.
- Count the options before guessing. If five words fit, pick a guess that splits them, even if it can't be the answer.
- Learn the endings. -ER, -ED, -LY and -ING cover a huge share of longer words.
Try it now
Put these openers to work on today's puzzles: 4 letters, 5 letters, 6 letters or 7 letters.