Turn one word into another
Change exactly one letter per step, with a real word at every step, to climb from the start word to the target. A new ladder every day, plus unlimited rounds.
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How to play
- You get a start word and a target word of the same length.
- Tap a letter in the last word of your ladder, then pick its replacement.
- Every step must be a real dictionary word that differs by exactly one letter.
- Reach the target in as few steps as you can. The fewest possible steps are shown as par.
COLD becomes WARM in four steps: COLD, CORD, CARD, WARD, WARM. Each word changes exactly one letter from the one before it.
A new ladder every day
The daily ladder is the same pair of words for everyone, picked once for each date, and it never repeats a ladder used in the previous two months. Your ladder, streak and best score are saved in this browser only - nothing is uploaded, and no account is needed.
Four-letter ladders are the classic version and the gentler place to start. Five-letter ladders are longer and trickier, with more steps between the two words. Every puzzle is checked in advance, so a solution always exists.
Word ladders were invented by Lewis Carroll in 1877 under the name "doublets". If you enjoy guessing games, try our daily word game too.