Word Ladder
Free online word puzzle · New puzzle every day · No sign-up
Word Ladder in a nutshell
Word Ladder gives you a start word and a goal word of the same length. You change one letter at a time, and every step along the way must be a real word, until you reach the goal. There is no clock, wrong tries cost nothing, and a hint is always there if you need one.
- Read the two words. At the top is your start word, such as COLD. At the bottom is the goal word, such as WARM. Both have the same number of letters.
- Choose a letter to change. Tap one letter of your word. It lifts up and is marked with a small arrow, so you can see which one you are changing.
- Pick its new letter. Tap a letter on the keyboard below, or type it. If the result is a real word, it becomes the next step of your ladder: COLD can become CORD.
- Keep climbing. Change one letter at a time, making a real word each time. Letters that already match the goal are marked with a green bar underneath.
At a glance
- Players
- 1 player at your own pace
- Length
- 2 to 10 minutes for one puzzle
- Equipment
- Pencil and paper or the letter keys here
- Learn it in
- 1 minute one simple rule
Word Ladder questions
What does par mean?
Par is the number of steps in the shortest ladder through everyday words. Reaching the goal in par is a fine achievement, but any route that gets there solves the puzzle, however many steps it takes.
Can I move the letters around?
No. Each step changes one letter in its place. COLD can become CORD or BOLD, but not CLOD, because that would move letters around rather than change one.
Can I use the same word twice?
No. Each word can appear in your ladder only once, so the ladder always moves forward. If you have gone the wrong way, Undo takes your steps back.
Do hints stop the puzzle counting?
No. A puzzle you finish with hints still counts as solved, including the daily puzzle for the weekly leaderboard. Each hint makes one step for you, starting from the word you are on now.
Is there a new puzzle every day?
Yes. Every day there is a new daily puzzle with four-letter words and a par of 4, the same for everyone. After that, practice gives you as many puzzles as you like at Easy, Normal or Hard.
More free word games
Word GuessGuess the hidden five-letter word in six tries.
Word SearchFind the hidden words in the letter grid.
Word ScrambleUnscramble the letters to find the hidden word.
Word WheelMake words from nine letters, always using the centre one.
HangmanGuess the word letter by letter before the flower loses its petals.
