Arr, hear me now, mateys! Wordle be possessin' a fresh, grandest commencement word – yet I shan't be employin' it!
2024-01-13
Arr, me mateys! Listen ye well! In Wordle, the opening words be crucial, and the official counsel on the finest way to commence has now shifted, says I!
Wordle addicts know that the choice of start word is crucial. The New York Times' WordleBot has recently recommended TRACE as the best starting word, replacing its previous top pick SLATE. In hard mode, the bot's favorite word is now TROPE. However, the difference between these words and other favorites like CRATE, CARTE, CRANE, and SLANT is extremely small. On average, starting with TRACE rather than SLATE results in 0.0006 fewer guesses to solve a Wordle.Despite the change, both TRACE and SLATE are still good choices, and playing SLATE every day for four and a half years would only save one guess in total. ADIEU, the most popular starting word, would require 74 extra turns over a year. The makers of WordleBot added new words like BARRE, MOREL, and MERCH, and removed others like PWNED, EGADS, and YEESH.
One player, who had been using STARE as their start word for 700 Wordles, decided to switch their strategy. STARE is WordleBot's 14th favorite opener and has a high skill rating. They chose STARE because it uses common letters, making it a good Wordle word. They also found that using a consistent start word made it easier to choose their second guess.
However, playing Wordle with the same start word became dull for them, so they started choosing a new start word at random from January 1. This has made the game more interesting and unpredictable, although luck still plays a significant role. Their scores have become less consistent, ranging from 2s to 6s, but they have reinvigorated their love for Wordle by going random.
So, while WordleBot recommends TRACE as the best starting word, players may find more fun and excitement by picking words randomly.