A word puzzle from 1877
The word ladder was invented by Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, who called it “Doublets”. His most famous example turns HEAD into TAIL: HEAD, HEAL, TEAL, TELL, TALL, TAIL. The rule is simple: change exactly one letter per step, keep the letters in place, and make sure every step is a real word.
Each ladder here uses five-letter words. The game picks a start and a goal word that are connected, works out the shortest ladder and shows you how many steps it needs. Try to match it – or find your own, longer way up. Stuck? A hint shows the next step, and Show solution finishes the ladder for you.
How to use
- Read the start word at the top and the goal word at the bottom.
- Type a word that differs from the last rung by one letter and press Add.
- Keep climbing until you type the goal word. The changed letter is underlined on every rung.
- Use Undo, Hint or Show solution whenever you need them, then start a new ladder.
Ideas for using it
- Classroom. build a ladder together on the board – great for spelling and vocabulary.
- Language learning. switch the site language and climb ladders in German, Italian, Spanish, French or Ukrainian.
- Brain warm-up. a short ladder with your morning coffee.
- Family challenge. everyone solves the same ladder on paper – who needs the fewest steps?
Tips for finding the way
Look at the letters the two words already share – those can often stay as they are. Change vowels early: they open up many more words than consonants. If you get stuck, step back with Undo and try a different letter; a detour of one or two extra steps is often the quickest way round.