As a result of the changes, the recommended starting word has shifted from CRANE to SLATE in regular mode and from DEALT to LEAST in hard mode. In theory, SLATE or LEAST are better starting points if you’re playing off the top of your head rather than from a known list of possible solutions. (However, if you’ve grown attached to CRANE or DEALT, the New York Times reports that both are still excellent openers.) About a quarter of WordleBot users started with CRANE today, indicating that the bot has an impact on people’s play.) The New York Times has also added some new stats, such as a rating for information gained from a specific guess.
