Best Wordle Start Words

Maximize your Wordle success rate with these scientifically-backed starting words based on letter frequency analysis and common word patterns.

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Top 12 Starting Words

ADIEU

#1
4 VowelsScore: 95

Contains 4 vowels (A, E, I, U) which helps eliminate or confirm vowel positions quickly

AUDIO

#2
4 VowelsScore: 94

Contains 4 vowels with common consonants D and O, excellent for finding vowel positions

STARE

#3
2 VowelsScore: 93

Combines the most common consonants (S, T, R) with two common vowels (A, E)

CRANE

#4
2 VowelsScore: 92

Features high-frequency letters and common ending pattern (-ANE)

SLATE

#5
2 VowelsScore: 92

Excellent mix of common consonants (S, L, T) with vowels A and E

ARISE

#6
3 VowelsScore: 91

Contains three vowels and common consonants R and S

ROAST

#7
2 VowelsScore: 90

Good mix of common letters including two vowels and frequently used consonants

TRAIN

#8
2 VowelsScore: 89

Common word with frequent letters and two vowels in typical positions

SHOUT

#9
2 VowelsScore: 88

Contains common consonants and two vowels, good for eliminating multiple letters

TEARS

#10
2 VowelsScore: 88

High-frequency letters with good vowel coverage

BREAD

#11
2 VowelsScore: 87

Common word with two vowels and frequently used consonants B, R, D

OCEAN

#12
3 VowelsScore: 87

Contains three vowels with common consonants N and C

Wordle Starting Strategies

Vowel-Heavy Strategy

Start with words containing 3-4 vowels to quickly determine vowel positions

Examples:

ADIEUAUDIOARISEOCEAN

Balanced Strategy

Use words with a good mix of common consonants and vowels

Examples:

STARECRANESLATETRAIN

Consonant-First Strategy

Focus on the most common consonants (S, T, R, N, L)

Examples:

STERNSNORTTRANSSMART

Best Second Word Choices

Your second word should complement your first guess by covering letters you haven't tried yet:

If you found no vowels

AUDIOADIEUOUIJA

If you found one vowel

LYNCHMIGHTBUMPY

If you found multiple vowels

SHIRTCLUMPFROWN

To cover remaining common letters

THONGCLUMPFROWN

Why These Starting Words Work

📊 Letter Frequency Analysis

The best starting words contain the most common letters in the English language. The letters E, A, R, O, T, L, I, S, N are among the most frequently used in five-letter words.

🎯 Vowel Coverage

Most English words contain at least one vowel. Starting with a vowel-heavy word helps you quickly identify which vowels are in the target word and their positions.

🔤 Letter Distribution

Good starting words avoid repeating letters, maximizing the number of unique letters tested in your first guess. This gives you more information to work with on subsequent guesses.

🎲 Common Word Patterns

Words ending in common patterns like -ER, -ED, -ING, or -LY are frequently used in Wordle. Testing these patterns early can narrow down possibilities quickly.

Pro Tips for Wordle Success

✅DO

  • • Use your first two guesses to eliminate as many letters as possible
  • • Choose words with common vowels and consonants
  • • Pay attention to letter position (yellow vs green)
  • • Think about common word endings (-ER, -LY, -ED)
  • • Use the process of elimination systematically

❌DON'T

  • • Reuse gray (excluded) letters in subsequent guesses
  • • Ignore yellow letters - they must appear somewhere
  • • Use words with repeated letters in your first guess
  • • Rush your guesses without thinking through options
  • • Start with obscure words containing rare letters (Q, Z, X)

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