A three-vowel juggernaut that aggressively sweeps for O, U, and the all-important E while testing S.
Massive coverage. By checking O, U, and E, you eliminate the vast majority of vowel structures instantly.
Weak on overall consonants because it sacrifices slots for vowels. S is incredible, but H is highly situational.
E in position 5 is the most statistically advantageous placement for any vowel in the entire game.
We evaluate HOUSE based on its ability to rapidly determine the vowel framework of the target word.
HOUSE relies on a heavy 3-vowel strategy. E, O, and U cover the back half of the vowel chart completely, meaning you only have A and I left to worry about.
S is a premier consonant. H is less frequent overall but is incredibly valuable for finding CH-, SH-, TH-, and PH- blends.
Ending a starting word with an E immediately checks for the “magic E” rule (e.g., CRANE, STARE), which applies to hundreds of answers.
At roughly 4.62 bits of entropy, HOUSE lags behind words like SLATE because it tests fewer high-frequency consonants (like R, T, L, N).
An average HOUSE play cuts the dictionary down to around 142 remaining answers.
HOUSE is a valid Wordle answer, meaning a 1/6 victory is possible.
If you prefer knowing your vowels immediately over finding consonants, HOUSE is one of the best words in the game.
Unlike ADIEU or AUDIO, which burn four slots on vowels and ignore the crucial E placement, HOUSE includes the indispensable S. S is vastly more important than the fourth vowel. If HOUSE completely whiffs, you are in an incredibly strong position: the word MUST contain A or I (or both), and you still have T, R, N, L, and C available for an explosive second guess like TRAIN.
The placement of the E at the end is arguably HOUSE’s biggest strength, as it accurately tests one of the most common suffixes.
Let’s examine how each of HOUSE’s letters performs.
Frequency: Medium
Positional Strength: High
H frequently starts words, but its real power is when it’s yellow—indicating a likely CH, SH, or TH blend.
Frequency: High
Positional Strength: Strong
Position 2 is the most common home for the letter O.
Frequency: Medium
Positional Strength: Average
Tests the -OU- pairing right in the center of the word.
Frequency: Extremely High
Positional Strength: Strong
S frequently sits before the final letter, especially before an E (e.g., ABUSE, CAUSE, PAUSE).
Frequency: Extremely High
Positional Strength: Extremely Strong
The single most powerful letter/position combination in the entire game.
Finding E, O, or U quickly clarifies the structure of the word. A green E at the end usually signals a consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel-E pattern. Missing all three means the answer almost certainly relies on A and I (e.g., TRAIN, MAGIC, CLAIM).
S is a non-negotiable top-tier consonant. H is slightly weaker for candidate reduction but acts as an incredible canary in the coal mine for digraphs (CH, SH). A yellow H practically screams that you need to test C, S, T, and W.
Looking at HOUSE through the lens of Information Theory:
How does HOUSE compare to other popular strategies?
Winner: HOUSE
AUDIO uses four vowels, but completely misses the E. HOUSE is much better because getting a green E at the end is infinitely more valuable than finding a yellow I or A.
Winner: HOUSE
Similar to AUDIO, ADIEU wastes too much space on vowels while leaving the E stranded at the end where it is less common (compared to E in pos 5). HOUSE correctly places the E and includes the S.
In Hard Mode, HOUSE is relatively safe (Rating: 88/100). Testing the S and the E early clears out many of the dangerous traps before you can fall into them.
How to handle feedback from HOUSE:
Meaning: Ends in E, but H, O, U, S are absent. Best next move: TRACE, BLAME, GRACE. Note: Test the A immediately, as A_E is a massive word group.
Meaning: Contains H, but not at the start. Best next move: CHART, THINK. Note: Check C and T to find the blend.
Meaning: H, O, U, S, E are all absent. Best next move: TRAIN. Note: This is a godsend. The word is completely built on A, I, Y and R, T, L, N, C.
Run HOUSE through the whole answer pool and a clear profile emerges. It trims the field to 128.9 candidates on average, good for rank #41 among our 50 tracked starters. No opener wins every board, and HOUSE's bad boards are genuinely bad: its worst board still leaves 324 answers alive. Knowing that in advance is not pessimism. It is planning.
Every opener has a blind spot and HOUSE's is measurable: 296 answers contain none of its letters. That is roughly 13% of games where row one tells you nothing except what to avoid. The recovery is planned, not improvised. TRAIL, TRIAL, TRAIN cover the highest-value letters HOUSE never touches, and playing one of them turns a dead row into fresh information fast.
Context from its nearest rivals: BRAIN sits one rung higher at 125.2 expected candidates; CHAIR trails just behind at 129.5 expected candidates. Gaps this small are not destiny. A difference of a fraction of a candidate per game only shows up across hundreds of plays, while the word you actually remember to use well shows up every single morning. HOUSE also brings 3 vowels to the board, and how a word's feedback feels to play matters more than the third decimal of any simulation.
One more distribution worth knowing. The single most common outcome of opening with HOUSE is 1 yellow tile, which shows up in about 14% of all games. And in 39% of games, HOUSE places at least one letter exactly right on the first row. Neither number decides whether the word suits you, but together they describe the texture of a typical HOUSE morning: usually informed, rarely blank.
Simulated against the full Wordle answer pool of 2,316 words. Expected candidates means the average number of answers still possible after the first guess's feedback.
Yes, it is excellent for players who like to find their vowels (E, O, U) immediately while checking the crucial S.
Yes. HOUSE is on the official Wordle solution list.
Yes. AUDIO misses the E (the most important vowel) and tests zero high-value consonants. HOUSE correctly tests E and S.
No. SLATE (5.87 entropy) mathematically outclasses HOUSE (4.62 entropy) by testing better overall consonants (L, T).
It relies on a back-vowel strategy. If HOUSE misses its vowels, your next word (e.g., TRAIN) will easily scoop up A and I.
Guess TRAIN, CLAMP, or PARTY to aggressively check A, I, R, T, L, N, P, C.
Input your HOUSE results to get the exact remaining words.
Match word shapes instantly using our visual tool.
Review your finished game and see your efficiency score.
Compare HOUSE against CRANE, SLATE, and AUDIO.