You’ve been lied to. Well, maybe not lied to, but definitely misled by the collective subconscious of the internet. If you open your grid every morning and instinctively tap that S because it feels like the safest bet in the world, you’re playing a game of probability that isn't quite as simple as "more words end in S." In fact, today's Wordle journey—and every single one that follows—depends entirely on whether you understand the brutal hierarchy of the alphabet.
Wordle isn't just a vocabulary test. It’s a data science problem disguised as a cozy morning ritual. When we look at the first letter in today's Wordle, we aren't just looking at a random character. We are looking at the gatekeeper of the entire solve. If you get that first tile to turn green on attempt one, your chances of a "two-fer" skyrocket by over 70%. But if you’re guessing based on vibes rather than frequency, you’re basically throwing darts in a dark room.
The Tyranny of the Letter S
Most people think S is the king. It makes sense. English is packed with plurals. However, Josh Wardle, the game's creator, made a very specific, almost devious choice when he curated the original list of 2,315 solutions. He stripped out almost all simple plurals. You won't find "CARS" or "DOGS" as a winning answer.
This changes everything.
While S is still the most common starting letter in the English language for five-letter words, its dominance shrinks when you remove those easy plurals. Suddenly, letters like C, B, and T start looking a lot more attractive. If you look at the work done by researchers like Tyler Glaiel or the various deep-dives into the Wordle source code, you'll see that starting with a vowel is almost always a tactical error. Why? Because vowels tell you what the word sounds like, but consonants tell you what the word is.
What the Data Says About Your First Move
Let's get into the weeds. If you’re hunting for the first letter in today's Wordle, you’re likely trying to narrow down a massive field of possibilities.
Think about the letter C. It’s incredibly versatile. It pairs with H, L, and R right out of the gate. If you start with "CRANE"—which was the favorite of the New York Times’ Wordle Bot for the longest time—you’re testing one of the most statistically powerful starting letters in the game. But then the Bot shifted. It started suggesting "ADIEU" for a while (mostly for the vibes), and then it settled on "TRACE."
Why the flip-flop? Because the value of a starting letter changes based on what it eliminates.
If you guess a word starting with T and it comes up gray, you haven't just lost a letter. You’ve effectively deleted hundreds of potential solutions from your mental map. You’ve narrowed the world. Honestly, that’s the real secret. You shouldn't be trying to guess the word on the first try. You should be trying to kill as many words as possible.
The Psychological War of the First Tile
There is a specific kind of panic that sets in when you see five gray boxes. We've all been there. You stare at the screen, your coffee getting cold, wondering if "XYLYL" is actually a word (it’s not a solution, don't try it).
The first letter in today's Wordle acts as an anchor for your brain. Humans are weirdly linear. We struggle to think of words by their middle letters. Try it right now: think of a word where the third letter is G. It takes a second, right? Now think of a word starting with P. It’s instant. "Pizza," "Power," "Pesto."
Because our brains are indexed alphabetically by the start of the word, hitting that first green tile is a massive psychological win. It unlocks your internal dictionary. If you know the word starts with A, your brain stops looking at the 20,000 other words it knows and zooms in on the "A" shelf.
Why Common Knowledge Fails
You’ll hear people scream about "vowel hunting." They’ll tell you to burn your first turn on "AUDIO" or "OUAJA."
That’s a trap.
Vowels are the "filler" of the English language. They are everywhere. Finding out there is an E in the word is like finding out there is salt in the ocean. It doesn't help you much because the E could be in the second, third, fourth, or fifth spot. But if you nail the first letter in today's Wordle and it’s a consonant like S, T, or C, you’ve just performed major surgery on the puzzle. You’ve cut away the noise.
Real-World Examples of the "Letter Trap"
Look at the word "CAULI." It’s a great word for testing vowels, but as a starting word, it’s risky. If the C is wrong, you’ve used a very specific consonant that doesn't overlap with much else in that position.
Contrast that with "SLATE."
- S is a high-frequency starter.
- L is a common second-letter consonant.
- A is the most common middle vowel.
- T is a powerhouse.
- E is the ultimate ender.
When people talk about the first letter in today's Wordle, they are usually looking for a shortcut. But the shortcut isn't a single letter—it's the relationship between that letter and the rest of the alphabet.
The "Hard Mode" Factor
If you play on Hard Mode, your relationship with the first letter becomes even more toxic. In Hard Mode, if you get a green S at the start, you must use it in every subsequent guess. This can lead to the infamous "Trap of Death."
Imagine the word is "STARE." You guess "SHARE." The S, A, R, and E all go green. You're one letter away! You feel like a genius.
Then you guess "SNARE." Gray.
"SPARE." Gray.
"STARE." Finally.
But if you had guessed "STARE" last, you might have run out of turns. This happens because the first letter in today's Wordle can sometimes be part of a large "cluster"—words that differ by only one character. If you find the cluster early, you might actually be in more danger than if you had all grays.
Sophisticated Strategies for the Modern Player
Some pros are now using what’s called "The Burner Method." They don't even try to get the first letter right. They deliberately pick a word with five entirely different, common letters that they know isn't the answer, just to clear the board. It’s cold. It’s calculated. It’s also incredibly effective.
If you're struggling with the first letter in today's Wordle, stop trying to be right. Start trying to be informative.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Game
Stop guessing "ADIEU." It’s a weak start because it gives you vowels but leaves the structural consonants untouched. You're left with a "vowel soup" and no idea where to put the crackers.
Switch your opening gambit to a word that prioritizes the most common starting consonants. Data from the New York Times and independent analysts like Bill Jelen (the "MrExcel" guy who pivoted to Wordle stats) suggests that words starting with T, C, S, B, or P offer the most "information gain."
If you get a yellow hit on your first letter, don't immediately try to shove it into the second slot. Think about common English digraphs. If you have a yellow C, it’s probably not in the second spot unless the word is "ACHES" or "ECHO." It’s more likely at the end or in the third spot.
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Lastly, pay attention to the "Letter of the Day" trends. While the game is technically random, the human brain perceives patterns. If we’ve had three words this week starting with consonants, your gut might tell you a vowel-heavy word is coming. Ignore your gut. Trust the frequency tables.
The best way to master the first letter in today's Wordle is to treat the alphabet like a deck of cards. Some cards are simply higher value than others. Play the high cards first, and the rest of the hand plays itself.
Move away from the "S" obsession. Start looking at T and C as your new best friends. They are the workhorses of the English language, and they will save your streak when the words get weird. Check the frequency of your favorites, stop chasing the "one-guess wonder," and start playing the long game. Your stats page will thank you.