You're standing there, staring at five empty grey boxes. It’s a fresh morning, your coffee is actually hot for once, and you’ve got that itch to keep your streak alive. But then the panic sets in. What do you type first? Honestly, most of us just panic-type "ADIEU" or "STARE" and hope for the best.
But if you’ve ever wondered what does wordle start with most often—or what you should start with to actually win—you aren’t alone. The game has changed since Josh Wardle first sold it to the New York Times. The bots got smarter. The players got more competitive. And the "math" behind the perfect opener has become a bit of a rabbit hole.
The Letter That Rules the First Box
If we are talking about the actual dictionary of Wordle answers, there is a clear winner for the most common starting letter. It’s S.
Statistically, "S" starts more five-letter words than any other letter in the game's original solution list. It’s not even close. Roughly 15% of all possible Wordle answers begin with S. If you want to see a green tile on your very first tap, starting with an S-word is your best bet mathematically.
But here’s the kicker: just because a letter is common doesn't mean it gives you the most information.
Why "C" is Creeping Up
Lately, people have noticed a lot of words starting with C. In fact, today's Wordle (January 15, 2026) is a perfect example. If you’re playing right now, the answer is CHASM. It starts with a C.
Linguists and data nerds (the good kind) have pointed out that while S is the king of quantity, letters like C, A, and T are incredibly high-value because of the way they pair with other letters. When you see a "C" turn yellow or green, your brain immediately starts looking for an "H," "L," or "R." It narrows the field faster than a random S might.
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What Does Wordle Start With Today? (Jan 15, 2026)
If you just came here because you're stuck on the current puzzle, let’s get straight to it.
Today's Wordle #1,671 starts with the letter C.
It’s a bit of a tricky one because it only has one vowel. If you started with a vowel-heavy word like "AUDIO" or "ADIEU," you probably saw a lot of grey today. That’s the danger of the "vowel hunt" strategy. You find the 'A' and then you're left wandering in a desert of consonants.
The answer is CHASM.
If you got it in three, nice work. If you’re on guess five and sweating, you probably missed the "H" or the "M" at the end. It happens to the best of us.
The "Best" Starting Words According to the Machines
We have to talk about WordleBot. The New York Times' own analytical tool has a bit of an obsession with the word CRANE in regular mode and DEALT or LEAST in hard mode.
But why?
It’s about "entropy." That’s a fancy way of saying the bot wants to eliminate as many words as possible, even if it doesn't get a single green tile.
- SLATE: This was the gold standard for a long time. It covers the most common letters in the most common spots.
- ARISE: Great for vowel lovers.
- SALET: This is the one MIT researchers swore by. Yes, actual researchers at MIT spent time on this. They found "SALET" (a type of helmet) provides the most information on average.
Personally? I think "SALET" is a bit boring. It feels like cheating with a calculator. I’m a "STARE" or "TRACE" person. There’s a certain soul to starting with a word you actually use in real life.
Common Misconceptions About the Start
You've probably heard someone say, "You HAVE to get the vowels out of the way first."
That’s actually kinda bad advice.
Sure, knowing there's an 'E' is helpful. But almost every word has an 'E' or an 'A'. Knowing a word has a 'P' or a 'C' in the first position is way more valuable because it eliminates thousands of possibilities in one go.
Another myth: The Wordle answer can be anything.
Not really. The game uses a curated list of "common" five-letter words. You’re never going to see some obscure Latin botanical term as the answer. That’s why words like CHASM or AVOID (yesterday's answer) are so common—they are words a normal human would actually say.
The Power of the Second Word
If your first word was a total bust—all grey—don't double down on the same letters. This is where people break their streaks.
If you start with CRANE and get nothing, your second word should be something like PIOUS or ADULt. You need to pivot. The game isn't just about what Wordle starts with; it's about how you recover when you start with nothing.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Game
If you want to stop losing your 100-day streaks, stop guessing random words. Pick a "house" word and stick to it for a week.
- Test the S and C: Since these are the most common starting letters, try alternating between words like SLATE and CRANE.
- Watch for Digraphs: If you see a green C or S, immediately think about "CH," "SH," or "ST." These patterns are the backbone of the English language.
- Don't ignore the Y: People forget 'Y' is a semi-vowel. If you've tried A, E, I, O, and U and nothing is hitting, there is a very high chance that 'Y' is lurking at the end of the word.
- Use the "Hard Mode" Logic: Even if you aren't playing hard mode, try to use the clues you have. It forces your brain to visualize the word structure better.
Go ahead and try starting your next game with CHAMP or CLASP. You might be surprised how often that "C" gives you the hook you need to finish in three.
Check your current streak and see if changing your opener to a consonant-heavy word improves your average score over the next five days. Match your starting strategy to the most frequent patterns—like the C in today's CHASM—to narrow down the hidden solution faster.