Play Word Ladder Online

How to Play Word Ladder

Modes: Easy · Medium · Hard · Daily

Word Ladder challenges you to travel from a start word to an end word, changing exactly one letter on every step.

Type a word that is the same length as the current word and differs from it by a single letter, then press Step.

Your new word becomes the current word, and you keep going until you reach the end word.

The Hint button suggests the next word when you are stuck.

Rules

Every word must be the same length as the start word.

Each step must change exactly one letter (no adding, removing or rearranging letters).

You may take any valid path — not just the fastest one.

Reach the end word to win.

Scoring

History & Origins of Word Ladder

Word Ladder was invented by Lewis Carroll, who introduced it as ’Doublets’ in Vanity Fair magazine in 1879. He asked readers to change a single letter at a time until one word became another of the same length, and he loved ladders whose intermediate words told a tiny story of their own.

Long before shortest-path puzzles had a popular name, Carroll was describing routes through a word network in which every word is a point and every one-letter change is a connection. Solvers naturally hunted for the shortest route between two words, and the pastime soon became known simply as the word ladder.

Today’s version keeps the charm while lending a hand. You see the goal word from the very first rung, difficulty chooses ladders of four, six or eight steps, and a suggested route is always available: the colour preview guides each typed word, and a Hint reveals the next step when you stall.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Changing more than one letter in a step. Each move must differ from the current word by exactly one letter, and the game rejects anything altering two or more positions.
• Guessing words that are not in the game’s dictionary, such as invented plurals or unusual spellings. A word that looks English is still rejected unless the built-in list contains it.
• Ignoring the colour preview under the input: green means the letter is right and in place, amber means it appears in the next word, grey means it is not needed.
• Stepping off the recommended ladder and losing the letter preview. The colour feedback and Hint only work while your current word sits on the suggested route.
• Submitting a word of the wrong length. Every rung must be as long as the start and end words, so adding, dropping or rearranging letters is never allowed.

Tips & Strategy

Change the letter in one position at a time and keep the rest fixed.

Try moving vowels around — many word ladders are vowels plus common consonants.

Aim for short detours through common words when the direct path is blocked.

Use the Hint button to see one valid next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Word Ladder free to play?

Yes — Word Ladder on ThinkyPlay is completely free, with no download and no sign-up.

What counts as a valid step?

A valid step is a real word of the same length that differs from the current word by exactly one letter.

Must I follow the fastest path?

No — any valid chain of one-letter changes that reaches the end word wins.

What does the difficulty mean?

Difficulty sets the number of steps in the recommended ladder: Easy 4, Medium 6 and Hard 8.

What do the coloured letters under my typing mean?

They compare your typed word, letter by letter, with the next word on the suggested ladder. Green means a correct letter in the right position, amber means the letter appears in that next word, and grey means it does not.

Why does the colour preview disappear when I stray?

The preview only appears while your current word is part of the suggested ladder. Step back onto any ladder word with a one-letter move and the feedback, plus the Hint, start working again.

Is there a daily word ladder?

Yes. The Daily Word Ladder gives everyone the same start and end word every day and keeps a separate daily best time, so you can try to beat your own fastest route.