Word Ladder
Word · 9 playsWord Ladder
Turn one word into another, one letter at a time.
About Word Ladder
Lewis Carroll's own invention from 1877: climb from word to word by changing a single letter each rung, with every step a real word. COLD to WARM in four moves is the classic; each round hands you a fresh pair and a par to beat. A small vocabulary workout that sneaks in real puzzle-solving — the shortest path is rarely the obvious one. Free to play in your browser — no download, no sign-up.
How to Play
Change exactly one letter of the current word to make a new real word. Type with the keyboard, then GO. Reach the target word to finish. Match the par for a perfect climb. 💡 shows the next best step (3 per round).
Tips & Strategy
Work from both ends. Ask which letters the target needs, and prefer steps that lock one of them in place without wrecking the rest.
Vowels are the hinges of a ladder — when stuck, try swapping the vowel first (COLD→CORD→WORD turns on exactly that).
Common-pattern words (-ARE, -INE, -AND) make roomy stepping stones; rare words are often dead ends with few neighbours.
Don't undo a matched letter unless you must — par usually allows no wasted move. If a step feels forced, back up one rung mentally and look for the fork.