Word Ladder Rules
The official guidelines for playing Word Ladder. Follow these rules to ensure valid transformations and fair play.
Allowed Moves
- Change exactly one letter per step.
- Each intermediate word must be a valid English word.
- Words must keep the same length throughout the ladder.
- Avoid repeating the same word in the path.
Not Allowed
- Adding, deleting, or rearranging letters.
- Using proper nouns (names, brands), acronyms, or hyphenated words.
- Non-dictionary words, slang that isn’t widely recognized, or offensive terms.
- Skipping directly to the target without valid intermediate steps.
Common Mistakes
- Changing two letters at once.
- Using rare or archaic words not present in the standard puzzle dictionary.
- Looping back to a previous word and increasing the step count unnecessarily.
Quick Example
Transform COLD to WARM:
COLD → CORD → CARD → WARD → WARM