Words and Music Games

Word Ladder

Start the daily game
 Detailed Instructions

Tips and tricks

Always look at both ends of the word ladder.

Sometimes there are many possibilities for the starting word, but almost none for the end word. For example:

Start Word

T
R
A
Y

End word

C
R
I
B

Starting with TRAY, there are many possibilities, such as TRAP, TRAM, PRAY, BRAY, etc.

Starting with CRIB, there are virtually no possibilities.
In fact, there is only one possibility, namely CRAB.

T
R
A
Y
C
R
A
B
C
R
I
B

Once you have thought of the word CRAB, it is only a small step to DRAB, then to DRAY, and you have found the solution.

T
R
A
Y
D
R
A
Y
D
R
A
B
C
R
A
B
C
R
I
B

However, you have to do the reverse thinking from the end word in your head.

If the vowels are in the same positions, it can be easy to build a word ladder.

For example

M
A
K
E
C
A
K
E
C
A
V
E
C
O
V
E
L
O
V
E

Here you can see that there is always a vowel in positions 2 and 4.

It is much more difficult to get to a word, if the vowels are in different positions.

For example, how do you get from BAND to SLIP?

B
A
N
D
S
A
N
D
S
A
I
D
S
L
I
D
S
L
I
D

Here we use the word SAID with the two vowels AI as a bridge between SAND, with a vowel in position 2, and SLID with the vowel in position 3.

EVES, EYES, BYES, BEES is sometimes a useful sequence.
Here is an example:

O
M
E
N
O
V
E
N
E
V
E
N
E
V
E
S
E
Y
E
S
B
Y
E
S
B
E
E
S
B
E
E
F