Diceware Word Lists Compared
Comparing diceware word lists — original Reinhold list, EFF Large List, and alternative word sets.
Published:
Tags: diceware word list comparison, EFF diceware list, best diceware word list
Diceware Word Lists Compared The choice of word list determines both the entropy per word and how memorable the generated passphrase is. The EFF Large List (2016) improves on the original Reinhold list with curated words that are easier to picture, spell, and recall. --- Why Word List Choice Matters? All diceware word lists with 7,776 entries produce the same entropy per word (12.92 bits). The difference is memorability. A passphrase you can actually remember is more secure than a theoretically stronger one you'll write down or forget. The original 1995 Reinhold list was designed for entropy, not memorability. It includes entries like: (an abbreviation) (a proper noun) (two letters) (uncommon) (German word in an English list) The EFF's 2016 effort to redesign the lists applied explicit…
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the original Diceware word list?
The original Diceware word list was created by Arnold Reinhold and published in 1995. It contains 7,776 words (6^5 — the number of combinations from five dice rolls). Words are indexed by five-digit numbers where each digit is 1–6. The list includes short abbreviations, some obscure words, and entries that are hard to remember, which motivated the creation of improved lists.
What is the EFF Large Word List?
The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) Large Word List was published in 2016 to replace the original Reinhold list. It contains 7,776 words (same entropy) but was curated for memorability: no abbreviations, no offensive words, words that are easy to spell and visualise. The EFF also published two shorter lists for different use cases.
Which diceware word list is most memorable?
The EFF Large Word List is the most memorable — it was explicitly curated to include words that are easy to picture, pronounce, and spell. It excludes abbreviations, proper nouns, and obscure words. For bilingual speakers, language-specific lists (EFF-equivalents in German, French, Spanish) may be more memorable than an English list.
How many words are in a standard diceware list?
A standard diceware list contains 7,776 words — exactly 6^5 (six to the fifth power). This matches the number of outcomes from rolling five dice, giving each word a unique five-digit index from 11111 to 66666. Each word contributes exactly log2(7776) ≈ 12.92 bits of entropy when selected randomly.
Can I use a custom word list for diceware?
Yes, but the list size determines the entropy per word. A 7,776-word list gives 12.92 bits per word. A 10,000-word list gives 13.29 bits. A 1,000-word list gives only 9.97 bits — you'd need 8 words to match the security of 6 words from the standard list. The critical requirement is that each word is selected with equal probability from the full list.
All articles · theproductguy.in