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Using a simple score that adds up how often each distinct letter appeared in 2,315 historical Wordle answers, ROATE and ORATE tie for first. AROSE and SOARE follow, then IRATE and STARE. That makes STARE a close, familiar choice—but this is a letter-frequency ranking, not a demonstrated win-rate or universally optimal strategy.
What the frequency ranking says
Michael Brooks’s 2026 analysis counted the letters in 2,315 historical answers—11,575 letter slots in all—and scored each five-letter candidate without repeated letters by adding the historical counts for its letters. On that measure, the leaders are:
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| Starting word | Frequency score |
|---|---|
| ROATE | 4,594 |
| ORATE | 4,594 |
| AROSE | 4,534 |
| SOARE | 4,534 |
| IRATE | 4,511 |
| STARE | 4,509 |
These are author-calculated frequency points, not probabilities, expected guesses, or measured win rates. The same analysis counted E 1,233 times in its corpus. STARE’s score is 85 points below the leaders, so under this particular calculation it is close—not the top scorer.
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Source: Michael Brooks, DEV Community, October 2, 2026, edited October 3, 2026.
#1 Best Overall
Why “best” does not have one answer
Adding letter counts rewards words containing letters that were common across the answer list. It does not account for where those letters occur, how Wordle’s green, yellow, and gray feedback divides the possible answers, or how a player chooses later guesses. It also excludes repeated-letter candidates from the ranking. A high-frequency word can therefore score well without producing the most useful feedback.
Different objectives produce different leaders. Richard J. Rusin’s mathematical comparison reports an average of 3.8218 turns for SLATE in a single-word, guess-at-will setup, versus 3.7005 turns for a planned CRANE + SPILT opening. The latter uses two opening guesses, so it is not a like-for-like comparison with a one-word starter. Rusin summarizes the broader point: “Of course it depends on what you wish to optimize and how you will continue play after the starting word, to try to optimize it.”
Rank #2
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Source: Richard J. Rusin, Wordle analysis.
How the popular choices differ
ROATE and ORATE
These tie at the top only under the historical letter-frequency sum described above. Their score does not establish that either is the best legal opening guess in every Wordle mode or that it will lead to the fewest guesses.
STARE
STARE is a practical alternative if you want a word that scores nearly as highly by this frequency method. Its 4,509 points are close to the leaders, but the ranking alone cannot say whether its feedback patterns are better or worse for a particular solve strategy.
Rank #3
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ADIEU and AUDIO
ADIEU and AUDIO are often chosen to test several vowels early. This frequency ranking does not establish that they are better openers: it scores the total historical frequency of the letters, rather than the number or usefulness of vowels revealed. A vowel-heavy opener can suit a player’s preferred approach, but that is a strategic preference, not a conclusion supported by this score.
CRANE
CRANE appears in Rusin’s two-word CRANE + SPILT plan, which is evaluated as a sequence rather than as a standalone opener under Brooks’s letter-count calculation. The comparison illustrates why a word’s value depends on what follows it.
Rank #4
Frequency scoring versus information scoring
An information-based method asks how a guess’s possible feedback patterns split the remaining answer pool. A guess that divides candidates into many more balanced groups can be useful even when its letters are not the most common overall. The Word Bee describes an entropy-based analysis of feedback patterns across its stated answer corpus, a different method from simply summing letter counts. Its results depend on its dataset, including the allowed-guess list, and should not be treated as an official or independently verified ranking.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteSources: The Word Bee, May 18, 2026; Richard J. Rusin, Wordle analysis.
Best Value
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What the 2,315-answer list can—and cannot—tell you
The 2,315-word corpus is described as the original Wordle answer list. It is a historical analytical dataset, not confirmation of the current complete answer pool. Rusin notes that since November 2022, a Times curator has selected daily answers; his model assumes uniform random selection from the historical list and perfect recall of its solutions. That model is useful for comparing strategies under its assumptions, but it does not describe every detail of current selection behavior.
A third-party starter-word tool reviewed September 8, 2026, also warns that scores can change when the answer list changes. Any ranking should therefore be read with its list version, scoring method, guess rules, and follow-up strategy in mind.
Sources: Richard J. Rusin, Wordle analysis; WordleStartingWords.com, reviewed September 8, 2026.
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A practical way to choose an opener
- If you want to follow the frequency calculation: choose ROATE or ORATE; AROSE and SOARE are next, with IRATE and STARE close behind.
- If you prefer a familiar starter: STARE is close to the frequency leaders by this score, though the calculation does not prove it wins more often.
- If your goal is to test vowels: ADIEU or AUDIO may fit that preference, but this ranking does not show that vowel coverage is the best objective.
- If the first guess reveals little: Brooks suggests a complementary, consonant-heavy second guess that tests letters such as L, N, S, C, H, D, or P; I or U may be useful when another vowel needs testing. This is a heuristic, not a tested or guaranteed strategy.
For any opener, the meaningful comparison is not just which letters it contains. Consider whether guesses must be possible answers, whether you are judging one word or a planned sequence, how feedback narrows the remaining pool, and what follow-up method you will use.
Quick Recap
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