> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://starikov.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Wordleconomics - URL: https://starikov.co/wordleconomics/ - Published: 2025-05-10T23:16:32.000Z - Updated: 2025-11-14T05:56:46.000Z - Description: When in doubt, SLATE it out. - Author: Illya Starikov - Tags: Code, Technology, #u-color-bg-tag-accent, #u-color-text-dark Over the past year, I've become quite invested in Wordle. Actually, Taylor and her family started playing first, and I quickly joined in. Soon enough, I even got my mom hooked on it! If you're not familiar, Wordle is an engaging daily puzzle where you have six tries to guess a secret five-letter word, guided by helpful color-coded hints. Throughout the year, I consistently chose the same starter: **SLATE**. S L A T E It felt safe and reliable—I always knew my next steps based on it. However, Taylor experimented with different starters and consistently crushed it. This made me curious: what are actually the best starting words? After some digging, familiar contenders: **CRANE**, **SLATE**, **TRACE**, **CRATE**, **CARET**. I've compiled a comprehensive list below for (both of our) future reference. C R A N E S L A T E T R A C E C R A T E C A R E T ## Identifying the Optimal Starters Rather than relying solely on intuition or AI, I wanted to see if a straightforward, "old-school" program could crack this puzzle. First, we needed a suitable dictionary of words. Unix and macOS provide the standard [words library](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Words%5F%28Unix%29?ref=starikov.co), but this includes obscure entries that Wordle may not recognize. Next, we required an effective scoring method. A straightforward approach is to calculate letter frequency across all words—the more frequently a letter appears, the higher its score. ![](https://starikov.co/content/images/2025/05/letter_frequency-2.png) ![](https://starikov.co/content/images/2025/05/letter_frequency_sorted-1.png) Quickly, some letters emerged as particularly common: - Most frequent: `S`, `E`, `A` - Moderately frequent: `O`, `R`, `I` Interestingly, four of these letters are vowels: `E`, `A`, `O`, `I`. Positional frequency matters too—letters are scored higher if they're common in specific positions within words. ![](https://starikov.co/content/images/2025/05/positional_letter_counts-1.png) Notably: - The `{S, 4}` combination (a trailing "S") dominates, suggesting many plurals. - `{S, 4}: ____S` - Other frequent positional letters: - `{A, 1}: _A___` - `{E, 1}: _E___` - `{E, 3}: ___E_` - `{I, 1}: _I___` - `{O, 1}: _O___` - `{S, 0}: S____` - `{T, 0}: T____` - `{U, 1}: _U___` - `{Y, 4}: ____Y` Finally, by combining aggregate letter frequency and positional data, a hybrid scoring system emerged. This method offers a more balanced and nuanced approach, producing unique top words: **AEROS**, **SOARE**, **REAIS**, **AROSE**, and **RAISE**. A E R O S S O A R E R E A I S A R O S E R A I S E Even when you feed my script the same 2,309‑word official Wordle answer list that WordleBot uses, our rankings still diverge because of how we each value information: my hybrid metric simply adds up how frequently each letter—and, to a lesser degree (10 % blend), each letter‑in‑position—appears across all answers, then zeroes out any word with duplicate letters on turn one, so high‑coverage vowel‑heavy options like **AEROS** and **SOARE** dominate; WordleBot, by contrast, runs a full entropy simulation for every guess and keeps duplicate letters if they shrink the remaining solution space, which is why consonant‑balanced staples like **CRANE** and **SLATE** top its chart. In short, we share the same dictionary; the gulf comes from aggregate‑frequency math versus entropy‑driven feedback simulation, plus my harsh repeat‑letter penalty and modest positional weight. ## Parting Thoughts Choosing the ideal Wordle starter is about balancing letter frequency and positional insights. Popular starters like **CRANE** and **SLATE** remain consistently strong choices due to their strategic letter placement and high-frequency letters. Meanwhile, hybrid scoring systems, which blend multiple metrics, offer compelling alternatives like **SOARE** and **AEROS**, maximizing initial guess effectiveness. Whether sticking with tried-and-true favorites or exploring data-driven options, the real fun of Wordle lies in its daily puzzle-solving and the friends and family your spend doing it with. ## My Words The words generated by my program rank first by a hybrid metric (10% blend), then positional, then aggregate letter frequencies. The metrics are calculated by a sum of the letter’s value, with the value equaling the number of letter occurrences / total words. Positional does the same over the individual positions. | Word | Hybrid # | Hybrid | Position # | Position | Aggregate # | Aggregate | | --------- | -------- | ------- | ---------- | -------- | ----------- | --------- | | **AEROS** | 1 | 0.98841 | | | 1 | 1.89498 | | **SOARE** | 2 | 0.98324 | | | 3 | 1.89498 | | **REAIS** | 3 | 0.97544 | | | 7 | 1.86772 | | **AROSE** | 4 | 0.97213 | | | 2 | 1.89498 | | **RAISE** | 5 | 0.96532 | | | 6 | 1.86772 | | **SERIA** | 6 | 0.96462 | | | 9 | 1.86772 | | **SERAI** | 7 | 0.96366 | | | 8 | 1.86772 | | **LARES** | 8 | 0.96129 | 19 | 0.77624 | 17 | 1.82195 | | **RALES** | 9 | 0.96041 | | | 20 | 1.82195 | | **TARES** | 10 | 0.95962 | 6 | 0.79354 | | | | **ARISE** | 11 | 0.95871 | | | 5 | 1.86772 | | **ALOES** | 12 | 0.95772 | | | 10 | 1.83063 | | **AESIR** | 13 | 0.95761 | | | 4 | 1.86772 | | **RATES** | 14 | 0.95669 | | | | | | **TOEAS** | 15 | 0.95635 | | | 13 | 1.82518 | | **ARLES** | 16 | 0.95380 | | | 14 | 1.82195 | | **RANES** | 17 | 0.95379 | 23 | 0.77186 | 41 | 1.80754 | | **NARES** | 18 | 0.95341 | 29 | 0.76567 | 40 | 1.80754 | | **EARLS** | 19 | 0.95316 | | | 15 | 1.82195 | | **LAERS** | 20 | 0.95265 | | | 16 | 1.82195 | | **REALS** | 21 | 0.95174 | | | 21 | 1.82195 | | **TERAS** | 22 | 0.95116 | | | 37 | 1.81649 | | **LEARS** | 23 | 0.95079 | | | 19 | 1.82195 | | **TEARS** | 24 | 0.94912 | | | 35 | 1.81649 | | **AEONS** | 25 | 0.94816 | | | | | | **PARES** | | | 1 | 0.81023 | | | | **BARES** | | | 2 | 0.80168 | | | | **CARES** | | | 3 | 0.79946 | | | | **MARES** | | | 4 | 0.79818 | 90 | 1.74042 | | **PANES** | | | 5 | 0.79441 | | | | **PORES** | | | 7 | 0.79219 | | | | **BANES** | | | 8 | 0.78586 | | | | **PALES** | | | 9 | 0.78458 | | | | **BORES** | | | 10 | 0.78364 | | | | **CANES** | | | 11 | 0.78364 | | | | **DARES** | | | 12 | 0.78364 | 60 | 1.75988 | | **MANES** | | | 13 | 0.78236 | | | | **CORES** | | | 14 | 0.78142 | | | | **GARES** | | | 15 | 0.78028 | | | | **MORES** | | | 16 | 0.78014 | | | | **FARES** | | | 17 | 0.77765 | | | | **PONES** | | | 18 | 0.77637 | | | | **BALES** | | | 20 | 0.77604 | | | | **TORES** | | | 21 | 0.77550 | | | | **MALES** | | | 22 | 0.77253 | | | | **HARES** | | | 24 | 0.76998 | | | | **PATES** | | | 25 | 0.76856 | | | | **ALOSE** | | | | | 11 | 1.83063 | | **STOAE** | | | | | 12 | 1.82518 | | **LASER** | | | | | 18 | 1.82195 | | **SERAL** | | | | | 22 | 1.82195 | | **ARETS** | | | | | 23 | 1.81649 | | **ASTER** | | | | | 24 | 1.81649 | | **EARST** | | | | | 25 | 1.81649 | ## Top Words Top recommended words based on expert analysis. Check mark ✓ applies to words that have been Wordle words before. | # | Word | Why it ranks | | ---------- | ------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | **Tier A** | | | | 1 | **CRANE** (✓) | Highest WordleBot skill 99/99 | | 2 | **SLATE** (✓) | ditto 99/99 – classic S‑start, E‑end | | 3 | **TRACE** (✓) | 99 — covers C/R/T trio | | 4 | **CRATE** (✓) | anagram of TRACE | | 5 | **CARET** | 99, never an answer yet | | 6 | **CARTE** | same 99 rating | | 7 | **SLANT** | WordleBot 99, "hard‑mode friendly" | | 8 | **PLATE** (✓) | newest 98/99 pick after CRANE | | 9 | **STARE** (✓) | long‑time player favorite, 97 | | 10 | **SAINT** (✓) | 97, nice S‑start / NT ending | | 11 | **LEAST** | WordleBot 97, duplicate‑safe | | 12 | **STALE** (✓) | 97, frequent solution ending | | 13 | **TASER** | 97, yet unused answer | | 14 | **PARSE** | 97, R/S/E trio | | 15 | **SNARE** (✓) | 96, hits S/A/R/E combo | | 16 | **TRADE** (✓) | 96, D tests mid‑freq cons | | 17 | **PLANE** | 96, vowel‑balanced | | 18 | **SANER** | 96, "anser" pattern | | 19 | **PLACE** (✓) | 96, common C/E ending | | 20 | **SLICE** (✓) | 96, tests C/I vowel | | **Tier B** | | | | 21 | **TRICE** (✓) | 98 WordleBot | | 22 | **DEALT** | top hard‑mode 99 | | 23 | **LANCE** | 98 alt to SLANT | | 24 | **TRIPE** | 95 (hard‑mode) | | 25 | **SHALT** | 94 skill; avoids ‑S plural issue | | 26 | **TAILS** | 94; S‑ending test | | 27 | **PETAL** | 93; alternate to PLATE | | 28 | **ROAST** | high 97 in WordsRated pair study | | 29 | **RAISE** | Tyler Glaiel's top "answer‑valid" pick | | 30 | **SAUCY** | Hi‑score 'future‑answer' word, Feb 2024 | | 31 | **SAUCE** | runner‑up to SAUCY | | 32 | **SOAPY** | high vowel‑con repeat test | | 33 | **SEIZE** | Z‑check without Q/J | | 34 | **CEASE** | double‑E confirmation | | 35 | **BRINY** | tests Y‑ending | | 36 | **CRIER** | common bigram ‑ER | | 37 | **SALLY** | WordleBot 92 but strong Y test | | 38 | **SADLY** | similar Y test, avoids E | | 39 | **SOOTY** | vowel+Y, covers double‑O | | 40 | **BRINE** | #4 on WordsRated score list | | **Tier C** | | | | 41 | **SALET** | MIT "optimal" (avg 3.42 guesses) | | 42 | **SOARE** | Glaiel/Fan #1 eliminator | | 43 | **SAINE** | Hackernoon highest exact‑green probability | | 44 | **SLANE** | MIT list #6 | | 45 | **SAREE** | Bertrand Fan entropy #2 | | 46 | **SEARE** | entropy #3 | | 47 | **SAICE** | WordPlay top‑10 | | 48 | **REAST** | MIT #2 overall | | 49 | **TRAPE** | MIT #5 | | 50 | **PRATE** | MIT #7 | | 51 | **TEALS** | MIT tied #9 | | 52 | **TRAIN** | MIT tied #9 – introduces N | | 53 | **RANCE** | 3Blue1Brown "max‑4‑guess coverage" | | 54 | **RATED** | same study – strong D check | | 55 | **RANTS** | alt w/ S‑end | | 56 | **RONTE** | high entropy variant | | 57 | **RAILE** | WordPlay top‑10 (rare but allowed) | | 58 | **TRICE** (✓) | already in Tier A — demonstrates overlap | | 59 | **LATER** | Top TikTok/Reddit frequency‑ranked list pick | | 60 | **AROSE** | Excel/YouTube statistical pick | | **Tier D** | | | | 61 | **IRATE** | linguist‑approved vowel+RT | | 62 | **ALTER** | common ALT‑ pattern | | 63 | **ADIEU** | 4‑vowel classic | | 64 | **AUDIO** | 4‑vowel alt, tests U | | 65 | **ARISE** | vowel/R/S spread | | 66 | **ROATE** | best pure eliminator, not an answer | | 67 | **SAUTE** | five high‑freq letters+U | | 68 | **POISE** | balances mid vowels/cons | | 69 | **TEASE** | vowel‑dense w/ common T/S/E | | 70 | **CAUSE** | WordRated score #7 | | 71 | **SHINE** | fills H/N combo hole | | 72 | **NOTES** | Wired letter‑freq starter | | 73 | **RESIN** | ≈ NOTES but R swap | | 74 | **TARES** | Wired / Real‑Stats top 5 | | 75 | **SENOR** | same Wired set | | 76 | **ROAST** | already Tier B — popular SmartLocal | | 77 | **TALES** | Prof. Smyth simulator #1 | | 78 | **CONES** | simulator #2 | | 79 | **HATES** | 97 % success in 3‑word strat | | 80 | **POUTY** | vowel‑light follow‑up favorite | | **Tier E** | | | | 81 | **CLINT** | best second word for SOARE combo | | 82 | **ROUND** | part of 3‑word meta | | 83 | **CLIMB** | third word in same set | | 84 | **SALLY** | WordRated list (tests double L/Y) | | 85 | **SADLY** | Y‑ending + D check | | 86 | **SOOTY** | digs into double‑O / Y | | 87 | **BRINY** | rare B/Y test | | 88 | **SEIZE** | Z‑probe after vowels | | 89 | **DEALT** | already Tier B — hard‑mode default | | 90 | **LANCE** | already Tier B | | 91 | **OUIJA** | meme‑ish 4‑vowel+J probe | | 92 | **ABOUT** | vowel‑heavy common pick | | 93 | **CANOE** | community vowel test | | 94 | **STORE** | SmartLocal "other good word" | | 95 | **COALS** | best two‑word pair (COALS+NITER) | | 96 | **NITER** | complement to COALS | | 97 | **SUITE** | Tom's Guide demo of today's solve | | 98 | **PIQUE** | tests rare Q/I pair | | 99 | **TARSE** | Reddit pick beats SALET in 2024 tweaks | | 100 | **TILER** | frequency‑based R‑ending probe (Real‑Stats) | ## Source Code Want the source code? [Find it here.](https://github.com/IllyaStarikov/starikov.co?ref=starikov.co) [GitHub - IllyaStarikov/starikov.co: Source code from my blog.Source code from my blog. Contribute to IllyaStarikov/starikov.co development by creating an account on GitHub.![](https://starikov.co/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-1.svg)GitHubIllyaStarikov![](https://starikov.co/content/images/thumbnail/starikov-1.co)](https://github.com/IllyaStarikov/starikov.co?ref=starikov.co)