History of Word Ladder

Unlike many other online word games, Word Ladder has a long and well-documented history.

The word ladder was invented by none other than Lewis Carroll, the famous author of ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

Lewis Carroll in 1863, photograph by Oscar Gustave Rejlander.
Public Domain, available here, here und here.

Lewis Carroll originally called the game ‘Doublets’. A description of the game was published in the British magazine ‘Vanity Fare’ in 1879.

Later that year, the description of the game was published in the book ‘Doublets’.

You can view a copy of this book on Google Books using the following link: https://books.google.de/books?id=JkQCAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

The book is very short. Here is a large part of the text:

PREFACE.

On the 29th of March, 1879, the following article appeared in “VANITY FAIR:" —

A NEW PUZZLE.

The readers of Vanity Fair have during the last ten years shown so much interest in the Acrostics and Hard Cases which were first made the object of sustained competition for prizes in this journal, that it has been sought to invent for them an entirely new kind of Puzzle, such as would interest them equally with those that have already been so successful. The subjoined letter from Mr. Lewis Carroll will explain itself, and will introduce a Puzzle so entirely novel and withal so interesting, that the transmutation of the original into the final word of the Doublets may be expected to become an occupation to the full as amusing as the guessing of the Double Acrostics has already proved.

In order to enable readers to become acquainted with the new Puzzle, preliminary Doublets will be given during the next three weeks—that is to say, in the present number of Vanity Fair and in those of the 5th and 12th April. A competition will then be opened—beginning with the Doublets published on the 19th April, and including all those published subsequently up to and including the number of the 26th July—for three prizes, consisting respectively of a Proof Album for the first and of Ordinary Albums for the second and third prizes.

The rule of scoring will be as follows:— A number of marks will be apportioned to each Doublet equal to the number of letters in the two words given. For example, in the instance given below of “Head” and “Tail,” the number of possible marks to be gained would be eight; and this maximum will be gained by each one of those who make the chain with the least possible number of changes. If it be assumed that in this instance the chain cannot be completed with less than the four links given, then those who complete it with four links only will receive eight marks, while a mark will be deducted for every extra link used beyond four. Any competitor, therefore, using five links would score seven marks, any competitor using eight links would score four, and any using twelve links or more would score nothing. The marks gained by each competitor will be published each week.

DEAR VANITY, — Just a year ago last Christmas, two young ladies — smarting under that sorest scourge of feminine humanity, the having “nothing to do”— besought me to send them “some riddles.” But riddles I had none at hand, and therefore set myself to devise some other form of verbal torture which should serve the same purpose. The result of my meditations was a new kind of Puzzle—new at least to me — which, now that it has been fairly tested by a year’s experience and commended by many friends, I offer to you, as a newly-gathered nut, to be cracked by the omnivorous teeth which have already masticated so many of your Double Acrostics.

The rules of the Puzzle are simple enough. Two words are proposed, of the same length; and the Puzzle consists in linking these together by interposing other words, each of which shall differ from the next word in one letter only. That is to say, one letter may be changed in one of the given words, then one letter in the word so obtained, and so on, till we arrive at the other given word. The letters must not be interchanged among themselves, but each must keep to its own place. As an example, the word “head” may be changed into “tail” by interposing the words “heal, teal, tell, tall.” I call the two given words “a Doublet,” the interposed words “Links,” and the entire series “a Chain,” of which I here append an example:—

HEAD
heal
teal
tell
tall
TAIL

It is, perhaps, needless to state that it is de rigueur that the links should be English words, such as might be used in good society.

The easiest “Doublets” are those in which the consonants in one word answer to consonants in the other, and the vowels to vowels; “head” and “tail” constitute a Doublet of this kind. Where this is not the case, as in “head” and “hare,” the first thing to be done is to transform one member of the Doublet into a word whose consonants and vowels shall answer to those in the other member (eg., “head, herd, here”), after which there is seldom much difficulty in completing the “Chain.”

I am told that there is an American game involving a similar principle. I have never seen it, and can only say of its inventors, “pereant qui ante nos nostra dixerunt!”

Lewis Carroll

RULES.

The words given to be linked together constitute a “Doublet;” the interposed words are the “Links;” and the entire series a “Chain.” The object is to complete the Chain with the least possible number of Links.

Each word in the Chain must be formed from the preceding word by changing one letter in it, and one only. The substituted letter must occupy the same place, in the word so formed, which the discarded letter occupied in the preceding word, and all the other letters must retain their places.

When three or more words are given to be made into a Chain, the first and last constitute the “Doublet.” The others are called “Set Links,” and must be introduced into the Chain in the order in which they are given. A Chain of this kind must not contain any word twice over.

No word is admissible as a Link unless it (or, if it be an inflection, a word from which it comes) is to be found in the following Glossary. Comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs, when regularly formed, are regarded as ‘inflections’ of the positive form, and are not given separately: e.g. the word ‘new’ being given, it is to be understood that ‘newer’ and ‘newest’ are also admissible. But nouns formed from verbs (as ‘reader’ from ‘read’) are not so regarded, and may not be used as Links unless they are to be found in the Glossary.

METHOD OF SCORING, &c. ADOPTED IN “VANITY FAIR.”

The marks assigned to each Doublet are as follows:—If it be given without any Set Links, so many marks are assigned to it as there are letters in the two words together (eg., a four-letter Doublet would have eight marks assigned to it). If it be given with Set Links, so that the Chain is made up of two or more portions, so many marks are assigned to it as would have been assigned if each portion had been a separate Chain (eg., a four- letter Doublet which has two Set Links, so that the Chain is made up of three portions, would have twenty-four marks assigned to it).

Each competitor, who completes the Chain with the least possible number of Links, will receive the full number of marks assigned; and each who uses more than the least possible number of Links will lose a mark for every additional Link.

Each competitor is required to send his three Chains, with his signature attached, written on one piece of paper.

The Editor of ‘Vanity Fair’ will be glad to receive any suggestions, both as to words which it seems desirable to omit, and as to omitted words which it seems desirable to insert: but any word proposed for insertion or for omission should be exhibited as aLink between two other words.

Alterations will not be made in this Glossary during any competition, but will be duly announced before the commencement of a new competition, so that those who already possess copies will be able to correct them, and will not be obliged to buy a new edition.

“Vanity Fair” Office,
13, Tavistock Street,
Covent Garden,
LONDON.