Word Ladder
Climb from the top word to the bottom word. Change one letter per rung, and every rung must be a real word.
Solved at par Solved In progress Revealed
3–4 steps 5–6 steps 7–9 steps
About the game
Lewis Carroll published this puzzle as “Doublets” in Vanity Fair in 1879. He called the two given words a doublet, the words in between links, and the whole thing a chain. His first example turned HEAD into TAIL.
Tap any earlier rung to climb back down to it. A hint first marks which letter to change; ask again and it fills in the word.
How to play Word Ladder
Word Ladder is a classic puzzle invented by Lewis Carroll in 1879. You’re given a top word and a bottom word. Climb from one to the other by changing one letter per rung, and every rung must be a real word.
For example, to turn COLD into WARM: COLD → CORD → CARD → WARD → WARM.
Game modes
- Daily: a new ladder every day.
- 250 Ladders: work your way through a numbered collection.
- Practice: choose Short (3–4 steps), Standard (5–6 steps) or Long (7–9 steps) ladders.
Tips and strategy
- Work from both ends. Look at the bottom word too. Sometimes it’s easier to see the last step first and work backwards.
- Fix the letters that already match. If a letter is the same in both words, try to leave it alone for as long as possible.
- Vowels are bridges. Changing a vowel (CAT → COT → CUT) often opens up new paths when consonant changes get stuck.
- Use common words. Short, everyday words have the most neighbours, so they make good stepping stones.
- Count the steps. The minimum number of rungs is the number of letters that differ. If you need more, you’ll have to take a detour.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add or remove letters? No. Every word in the ladder has the same length. You can only change one letter at a time.
Do proper nouns count? No. Every rung must be a standard English word.
Discover the history of the puzzle and expert techniques in Word Ladder Insights.