Word Ladder Solver
Type a start word and a target word. The solver finds the fewest one-letter changes between them and lists every ladder of that length.
Loading the word list…
Stuck on today's Weaver?
Weaver #1696 runs from DEWY to LUSH. Get it one hint at a time on today's Weaver hints, or type the two words above to see the full ladder.
How a word ladder works
- Change exactly one letter per step, keeping the others in place.
- Every word along the way must be a real word.
- The length never changes: a four-letter ladder stays four letters.
- The fewer steps, the better. The solver always shows the shortest ladder possible.
Word ladder examples
Classic pairs, solved with the same word list:
- CAT to DOG CAT → COT → COG → DOG
- COLD to WARM COLD → CORD → CARD → WARD → WARM
- HEAD to TAIL HEAD → HEAL → HELL → HALL → HAIL → TAIL
- LOVE to HATE LOVE → HOVE → HAVE → HATE
- WHEAT to BREAD WHEAT → CHEAT → CLEAT → BLEAT → BLEAK → BREAK → BREAD
- BLACK to WHITE BLACK → CLACK → CLICK → CHICK → THICK → THINK → THINE → WHINE → WHITE
The word list
The solver knows 16,695 words of 3 to 6 letters from SCOWL, an English word list built for spell checkers, at size 60 and in the version Weaver uses for its current puzzles.
| Letters | Words | Dead ends | Most links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 780 | 6 | COT (29) |
| 4 | 2,639 | 90 | WINE (26) |
| 5 | 5,074 | 666 | CARES (25) |
| 6 | 8,202 | 2,288 | BATTER (17) |
More word ladder puzzles
- Weaver hints and answers: a new four- or five-letter ladder every day.
- Today's Poople answer: a daily ladder that always ends at POOP.
- Poople Unlimited: random ladders to practise on.
FAQ
What is a word ladder?+−
A word puzzle where you turn one word into another by changing one letter at a time. Every step must be a real word, and the length never changes, so COLD can become CORD but not CORDS.
How does the word ladder solver work?+−
It starts from your target word and visits every word one letter away, then every word two letters away, and so on, until it reaches your start word. Searching outwards like this means the first ladder it finds is a shortest one, and it counts every other ladder of the same length too.
Which words does it accept?+−
Lowercase words of 3 to 6 letters from the SCOWL size 60 English word list, in the version Weaver uses for its current puzzles: 16,695 words in all. Names are not in it, and neither are the rarer words that only larger SCOWL sizes include.
Can it solve Weaver?+−
Yes. Weaver's current puzzles use this same word list, so the solver finds the shortest ladder for them. For a nudge instead of the answer, open today's Weaver hints.
Can it solve Poople?+−
Poople uses its own word list and always ends at POOP, so use the Poople solver for that game.