Turn one word into another by changing a single letter at a time. Every rung has to be a real word. Eighteen puzzles, a par to chase, and a solver ready to nudge you when the ladder runs out of rungs.
About Word Ladder
Word Ladder is the classic pencil-and-paper puzzle Lewis Carroll invented for a bored houseful of children, rebuilt into something you can tap through on a phone in a lift. You get a start word and a target word, both four letters, and one rule: change a single letter at a time, and every word you land on along the way has to be real. COLD to CORD to WORD to WARM. Easy to say, sneaky to do.
The joy is in the near-misses. You can see the target sitting right there, one letter away, but the swap you want makes a word that doesn't exist and the tiles give a firm little shake. So you back up, take the long way around, and suddenly you're four rungs deep wondering how a three-letter difference turned into a maze. A built-in solver checks every puzzle is winnable and powers the Hint button, so when you're truly wedged it'll whisper the next optimal letter rather than the whole answer.
It's for anyone who likes crosswords, Wordle, or just a quiet moment of untangling. Eighteen ladders climb from gentle to genuinely tricky, and each one tracks your best step count so you can come back and climb it cleaner.
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How to play Word Ladder
You're given a start word and a target word of the same length. Tap a letter tile (or press Left/Right) to pick a spot, then type a letter to change it. Each swap has to spell a real word or the tiles shake and it's rejected. Keep changing one letter at a time until you reach the target, ideally in as few steps as the par.
Controls
Desktop: click a tile then type a letter, or use the on-screen keyboard; Backspace undoes, H hints, R resets, M mutes. Touch: tap a tile, then tap a key on the built-in keyboard.
Tips & tricks
- Look for a shared middle: many ladders hinge on getting the two inner letters to match the target first, then fixing the ends.
- If a swap you're sure about gets rejected, that word probably isn't in the dictionary. Try a neighbouring letter and route around it.
- Undo freely. Backing out of a dead end costs nothing and often reveals a shorter path you missed.
- Chase the par, not just the win. A Hint shows the next optimal letter, so use it to learn the clean line, then replay for a lower step count.
Frequently asked questions
Is Word Ladder unblocked at school or work?
Word Ladder is a plain web page of about 39 KB — no plugin, no installer, no app store — so it loads on a Chromebook or a locked-down school or office laptop the same way any other page does, and the whole game arrives in one short download. Whether it opens comes down to your network's filter rather than the game itself.
Who made Word Ladder?
Word Ladder was built in-house by the 360 PlayZone team using open web technology (HTML5), which is why it runs instantly without any download.