There isn’t a unique NYT WordleBot top four: TechRadar’s report, accessed October 8, 2026, lists five normal-mode starters tied at 99/100—SLATE, CRANE, TRACE, CRATE and CARTE. If you need four picks, use SLATE, CRANE, TRACE and CRATE; CARTE has the same reported score. For hard mode, the reported favorite is CLASP.
Which Wordle starters does WordleBot rate highest?
TechRadar reports that WordleBot gives five words a 99/100 normal-mode skill score: SLATE, CRANE, TRACE, CRATE and CARTE. The evidence supports a tie, not a ranked top four. Choosing the first four is simply a convenient way to present four options; it does not mean CARTE scored lower.
In TechRadar’s table, CARTE was marked as not previously used as an answer, while the other four were marked as past answers at the time of reporting. Word lists and bot rankings can change, so these are reported results from October 2026, not a permanent ranking. Read TechRadar’s Wordle report.
What should you open with in hard mode?
TechRadar reports CLASP as WordleBot’s preferred hard-mode starter. SCALD and PLACE are also reported at 99/99. Hard mode requires you to reuse revealed letters in subsequent guesses, so its recommendations should not be treated as interchangeable with normal-mode picks. Check the mode you are playing before choosing an opener.
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Why do other analyses recommend different words?
“Best” depends on what a ranking measures. WordleBot’s skill score and an independent solver’s estimate of how much a guess narrows the answer list are different measures; neither should be presented as the other’s result.
Candidate reduction: IRATE and RAISE
NYT Game Solver ranks IRATE first, reporting an average of about 47.6 possible answers remaining after the guess across its set of 1,810 real Wordle answers. It ranks RAISE second at about 48.4. These are that solver’s results, not NYT WordleBot scores, and the answer set matters to the calculation. See NYT Game Solver’s analysis.
Rank #2
Letter-frequency scoring
A 2025 University of Leicester journal article describes another method: scoring valid guesses using letter frequencies at each position. This approach differs from WordleBot’s skill score and can produce different results depending on the word list used. Read the University of Leicester article.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is ADIEU or AUDIO better than a mixed-letter opener?
ADIEU and AUDIO appeal because they reveal several vowels quickly, but a vowel-heavy word is not automatically the most effective opener. A Denver Post-hosted account of NYT’s analysis says ADIEU was the most popular among leading human openers, while the bot favored SLATE, CRANE and TRACE. Popularity describes what players chose; it does not prove which guess is most efficient. Read the Denver Post-hosted account.
For a practical choice, weigh three things: the game mode, the metric behind the recommendation, and whether you prefer a familiar word or a solver-oriented option. SLATE, CRANE, TRACE, CRATE and CARTE are the reported normal-mode WordleBot tie; IRATE and RAISE are candidates in a separate reduction analysis.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
How to use a starting word well
- Pick a word with distinct letters. A guess that tests several different letters can give you more information than repeating letters in the opener.
- Use the feedback to shape the next guess. Keep confirmed letters in their revealed positions, and use misplaced letters elsewhere. In hard mode, the game requires those known letters in later guesses.
- Choose a consistent metric. A WordleBot skill score, an average remaining-candidate count and player popularity answer different questions; compare like with like.
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