Fun

The Best Wordle Start Words

Jun 21, 2022 ByAndrew Parker

Looking to improve your Wordle strategy or just a newcomer to the game and don’t know how to begin? Well it’s your lucky day. These top Wordle starting words have been mathematically proven to almost always guarantee success. The popular word guessing game has acquired millions of users per day and continues to rise. With six chances to guess one of 2,315 possible five-letter words, the game is by no means easy. The most important of these guesses is the first one. Some people use the same first word every day while others prefer to switch it up. Everyone claims to know the best starting word but they are all different which can get confusing. So what words can be used to maximize your success rate?

It may come as a surprise but the best starting words aren’t the ones that eliminate the most vowels like adieu or ourie. Instead, it depends on what strategy you plan to use. If you are trying to get the Wordle in the shortest amount of turns, then the best three words to use are slice, tried, and crane. Based on mathematical analysis these three starting words have proven to average under 4 guesses to get a win.

The other strategy one may choose is to try and reach the answer without caring how many turns it takes them. More about consistency and less about speed, this strategy is especially helpful for beginners wanting to learn how to play the puzzle. To have the best chance at securing a Wordle win, the top three words you should use are adept, clamp, and plaid. All of these words have just under a 99 percent win rate, almost assuring that an answer will be reached.

Man attempts to solve Wordle puzzle in office

Getty Images/Getty Images News/Brandon Bell/Staff

No matter what strategy you use it’s always helpful to have a start word with at least two vowels, preferably one at the third and fifth letter slots to optimize your chances at success. Hopefully the next time you approach the Wordle will be a little less daunting with these tips in mind. Happy playing and good luck.