§Puzzle terminology · wordle
Opener
The first guess a player makes in a daily puzzle, chosen to maximise information about the target.
Origin and context
In Wordle and its descendants, openers are often optimised offline — words like CRANE, SLATE, or TRACE expose five common letters in distinct positions. A strong opener turns a 6-guess constraint into a 5-guess problem.
Related terms
Frequently asked
What is Opener?
The first guess a player makes in a daily puzzle, chosen to maximise information about the target.
Where does Opener come from?
In Wordle and its descendants, openers are often optimised offline — words like CRANE, SLATE, or TRACE expose five common letters in distinct positions. A strong opener turns a 6-guess constraint into a 5-guess problem.
What's related to Opener?
Related puzzle terms include Wordle, Starting word. See the linked entries for full definitions.