Moves used: 0 · Best: 4
C
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Target
W
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GAME #1
Moves used: 0 · Best: 4
Target
Word Ladder challenges you to climb from a start word to a target word, one rung at a time.
Each step, change exactly one letter of the current word to form a new valid English word. For example: COLD → CORD → CARD → WARD → WARM.
Letters that match the target word in the correct position turn green, helping you see how close you are.
Made a wrong turn? Use the undo button to step back up the ladder, or reset to start over.
Reach the target word in as few steps as possible. A new Word Ladder is released every day!
Each step must change exactly one letter of the current word — no more, no less — and the result must be a real word in the dictionary. You cannot add or remove letters, rearrange them, or reuse a word you have already visited. For example, COLD → CORD changes just the second letter and produces a valid word, so it is a legal step.
Letters that match the target word in the correct position turn green as you build your chain. The more green letters you see, the closer you are. If you find yourself losing green letters, you may have taken a wrong turn. Use the undo button to step back and try a different path.
There is no hard move limit — you can take as many steps as you need. The challenge is reaching the target word in as few moves as possible. Each puzzle shows the optimal number of steps, so you always have a target to beat.
Yes! A fresh Word Ladder with a new start and target word is published every day. You can also play previous puzzles from the archive if you want more practice or missed a day.