COLD to WARM, one letter at a time.
Word Ladder is one of the oldest word puzzles there is. You get two words, one at the bottom of the ladder and one at the top, and you turn one into the other by changing a single letter at a time. Every rung in between has to be a real word: COLD, CORD, CARD, WARD, WARM.
Our ladder has a twist: you can climb from both ends. Work up from the bottom word, down from the top word, or switch between them whenever you like. The moment your two halves are one letter apart, the ladder joins and you’re done. Stuck halfway? Try the other end.
Each day has a par: the length of the shortest ladder through common words. Early in the week it’s a short four-letter climb, midweek a longer one, and at weekends you climb with five-letter words. Everyone gets the same ladder each day, so the leaderboard is a fair race.
- 🪜Words4 or 5 letters
- ⛳Par3 to 7 steps
- ⏱️Play time2 to 5 minutes
- 📅New ladderEvery midnight
🎮How to play
- 1
Type a word that is one letter different from the word at the end you’re climbing from, then press Enter.
- 2
Every word must be a real word, and no word can be used twice.
- 3
Use Switch end (or Tab) to climb from the other end instead. Your two halves stay on the ladder.
- 4
When the top half and the bottom half are one letter apart, or meet on the same word, the ladder is complete.
- 5
Par is the fewest steps the ladder can take through common words. Finishing on par scores the most; every extra step costs points.
💡Tips & tricks
- Tip 1
Look at the letters the two words share. The green marks show which letters are already right for the other end.
- Tip 2
Vowels are the hinges of a ladder. Changing a vowel often opens up a whole new set of words.
- Tip 3
If one end has few neighbours (words like AWAY), start from the other end and come to it.
- Tip 4
Tap any word you added to take it, and the words after it, back off. Undo takes back the last word only.
🙋Questions
What words are allowed?
Common English words with the same number of letters as the day’s words, in US or UK spelling. Plurals and other word forms like BETS or HEED are fine. Names and abbreviations are not.
What is par?
The number of steps in the shortest ladder through common words. Some rare words can make a shortcut: that is allowed, and still counts as par.
Is it the same ladder for everyone?
Yes. Every player gets the same two words and the same par each day, so the leaderboard is a fair race.
How are points calculated?
Finishing on par scores the most. Every step over par costs 100 points, each hint costs 150, slow solves cost a little, and the five-letter weekend ladders are worth double.