How to solve a word ladder
Type the start and end words, which must have the same number of letters, and press Find the ladder. The solver searches through every word that is one letter away, then two, then three, until it reaches your target, so the ladder it shows is always as short as possible. It prefers everyday words and only uses rarer ones when there is no other way.
The letter that changes at each step is highlighted, so you can follow the ladder easily or use it to check a puzzle from a book or newspaper.
Playing word ladders
Switch to Play for a puzzle of your own. You get two common words and the number of steps the shortest ladder takes. Type each next word: it must be a real word and differ from the last one by exactly one letter. Undo takes back a step, and Show me finishes the ladder from wherever you are.
Word ladders were invented by Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, who called them Doublets. He published them as puzzles in 1879, and his own examples included turning HEAD into TAIL and making WHEAT into BREAD.
Tips
Vowels are your friend. Changing a vowel often opens up many more words than changing a consonant. If you are stuck, work backwards from the end word: sometimes the last few steps are easier to spot than the first.
Questions and answers
Can I add or remove letters?
Not in a classic word ladder. Each step changes exactly one letter and keeps the length the same.
Why does it say no ladder joins those words?
Some words have no neighbours one letter away, or are in a group of words that never connects to the other. Try a different start or end word.
What is the longest word length I can use?
Up to eight letters, though ladders between long words are rare because long words have fewer neighbours.
Who invented word ladders?
Lewis Carroll, who called them Doublets and first published them in 1879.