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V first and N third gives 37 words, and only three letters ever appear in the box between them.
I takes about fifty one percent, E thirty two and A sixteen. No other letter turns up there at all, which is unusual for a pattern holding this many words.
VINYL, VINES, VENUE, VENOM and VENTS are the entries in everyday use, and they cover the two larger branches between them.
Because only three letters are possible, a single guess can settle the second box outright.
Test I first since it takes half the group, and if that fails the answer is almost certainly on the E branch.
The A branch is small and VANES is the only entry there most players would name, so it is the last place to look.
VINYL sits on the bigger branch but its Y and L are weaker tests. VENOM covers E, O and M, so it usually rules out more.
No. VIXEN puts I in the second box and X in the third. The N lands last rather than third.
VAN works as an opening in longer words but rarely survives at this length, so the branch fills up with names and rare forms.