Word Ladder
COLD to WARM in four moves: change cold to cord, cord to card, card to ward, ward to warm. That's a word ladder — pick a difficulty below and try one for yourself.
How to Play
- Pick a difficulty. The start and target words appear at the top and bottom of the ladder.
- Type a word that changes exactly one letter from the word directly above it in the ladder.
- Each word you submit has to be a real word this game recognizes — it gets added as the next rung.
- Keep going, one letter at a time, until you reach the target word.
- Stuck? Tap Hint for a valid next step — it costs a move, same as typing one yourself.
Game Features
- Hand-verified start-to-target word pairs across three difficulties, so every puzzle is genuinely solvable.
- Real-time checks catch a repeated word, more than one letter changed, or a word the dictionary doesn't recognize.
- A Hint button that finds an actual shortest route from wherever you're stuck to the target.
- Move counter, with your fewest-moves record kept per difficulty so you can try to beat it.
- Type on a keyboard or tap the field open on a touchscreen — either way works fine.
Tips & Strategy
- Changing the first or last letter is often easier than the middle — it opens up more real-word options.
- If you're stuck, try listing every word one letter off from where you are before assuming there's no move.
- Chasing the fewest possible moves sometimes means picking a less obvious next word early on.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a word ladder?
A word ladder is a puzzle where you transform one word into another by changing a single letter at each step, with every intermediate word being a real one.
Do I have to find the shortest path?
No. Any valid chain of real words gets you to the target, though your move count is what's compared against your personal best.
Can I get a hint if I'm stuck?
Yes. The Hint button finds a genuine route from your current word to the target and adds the next step for you.
Does it check that each step is a real word?
Yes. Every word you submit is checked against the game's own word list before it's accepted as a valid step.
Can I play on mobile?
Yes. Type into the field the same way you would on desktop.
Does it save my best score?
It tracks your fewest moves for each difficulty and keeps that record on your device.
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