Word Ladder
In Word Ladder you turn the start word into the goal word by swapping a single letter each step. Every step must be a real word. Free, no install, no account.
In Word Ladder, each move changes exactly one letter, and the result must be a valid word. Nothing caps the number of steps: the counter simply records how many you needed.
Works offline after the first visit. No install, no sign-up.
Loading the game…
How to play Word Ladder
What you change
Swap one letter of the current word for another to form a new real word.
Reach the goal
Keep climbing one rung at a time until you land on the target word.
Every puzzle has its own word list
Only the words listed in the puzzle count, and a clue tells you what the next one has to change. A word that is not in that list lights up red and does not move you any closer.
One letter per step
Changing a single letter means the shortest climb is the one that changes only what it has to. Fire to tire is one step; cold to warm takes four.
Only listed words count
A swap is accepted only when the result sits in that puzzle's own word list. Anything else turns the tiles red and costs you nothing, and typing the letter already in the selected tile does nothing at all.
Three puzzles, drawn at random
Restarting picks one of three ladders. COLD to WARM takes four changes, CAT to DOG takes three, and FIRE to TIRE takes only one, because T is already a listed word. Whichever you get, the step counter is the score you finish on.
Word Ladder Tips and Strategy
One rung can finish it
Start and target are the same length and only one letter may change at a time, so a pair that differs in a single position is finished in one step. FIRE and TIRE differ in exactly one letter, which means that puzzle can be over before you have settled on a second move.
Three puzzles, three lists
There are only three ladders and each carries its own short word list of fourteen to eighteen words, none of which is very long. Learning which words those lists actually contain is faster than reasoning out a route, because a change into a word outside the list is simply refused.
Aim for the shortest count
The counter only ever rises and there is no way back along a ladder you have climbed, so the shortest path is worth more than a careless one. The floor is set by how many letters differ: four for COLD to WARM, three for CAT to DOG, and one for FIRE to TIRE.
Word Ladder — Frequently Asked Questions
Are made-up words allowed?
No. Every step must be a real dictionary word or the move is rejected.
What if I get stuck?
Use the undo button to back up and try a different rung.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It runs in the browser and works offline after the first open.
Selection guide: word games online