PoopleLadder

Word Ladder Solver

This word ladder solver finds the shortest chain between two words of three, four or five letters. Type a start word and an end word: it changes one letter at a time, uses a real word at every step, and shows the fewest steps it takes. Four-letter ladders use the same 2,059-word list as the PoopleLadder game.

How the Word Ladder Solver Works

The solver treats the word list as a map. Two words are neighbors when they differ in exactly one position, like COLD and CORD. Starting from your first word, it runs a breadth-first search: it looks at every neighbor, then every neighbor of those, and so on, one ring at a time. The first time it reaches your end word, that route is guaranteed to be a shortest ladder, because every shorter route was already checked. It all happens in your browser in a fraction of a second.

Word Ladder Examples

Word ladders are older than computers. Lewis Carroll published them as a puzzle called Doublets in 1879, and his first challenge was to turn HEAD into TAIL. Here are three classic pairs, solved:

HEAD to TAIL in 5 steps

HEAD → HEAL → TEAL → TELL → TALL → TAIL

  1. Starthead
  2. Step 1heal
  3. Step 2teal
  4. Step 3tell
  5. Step 4tall
  6. Step 5tail

COLD to WARM in 4 steps

COLD → CORD → CARD → WARD → WARM

  1. Startcold
  2. Step 1cord
  3. Step 2card
  4. Step 3ward
  5. Step 4warm

LEAD to GOLD in 3 steps

LEAD → LOAD → GOAD → GOLD

  1. Startlead
  2. Step 1load
  3. Step 2goad
  4. Step 3gold

When There Is No Ladder

Not every pair can be joined. In the four-letter list, 1,926 of the 2,059 words belong to one big connected network, so any two of them have a ladder between them. The rest sit in 90 small islands. 71 words, such as AQUA, ECHO, AMMO, have no neighbor at all: changing any single letter never makes another word in the list. When the solver says there is no ladder, try a different start or end word that is close in meaning or spelling. More numbers about the four-letter list, such as its hardest start words, are on the Poople stats page.

Tips for Solving Word Ladders by Hand

  • Work from both ends. Find a word one step from the end, then aim at it instead of the end word itself.
  • Change vowels first. Swapping A, E, I, O or U opens up many more neighbors than swapping consonants.
  • Keep letters that already match the end word, and only move them when you are stuck.

Want to practise? The word ladder game deals random three-, four- and five-letter puzzles. The daily Poople game gives everyone the same start word to turn into POOP, and Poople Unlimited deals as many ladders as you like.

Word Ladder Solver FAQ

Is the word ladder solver free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, download or limit. The search runs in your browser, so answers appear as soon as you press the button.

Does it work for three-letter or five-letter words?

Yes. Type two words of the same length, three, four or five letters, and the solver picks the matching word list. Longer words are not supported yet.

Which words does the solver accept?

Common American English words built from the SCOWL lists: about 570 three-letter, 2,000 four-letter and 4,500 five-letter words. Names, abbreviations, very rare words and rude words are left out, so the solver will tell you if a word is not in the list.

Is the ladder it shows the only shortest one?

Often not. Many word pairs have several ladders of the same length. The solver shows one of them, trying neighbors in alphabetical order, so the same pair always gives the same answer.

Can I use it for other word ladder games?

Yes, as a guide. Other games use their own word lists, so a word on this ladder might not be accepted there. If a step is rejected, solve again from the word before it.

I only need ladders that end in POOP. Is there a faster tool?

Yes. The Poople solver only needs a start word and answers from a table worked out in advance.