Change positions: pos 1: 1, pos 2: 1, pos 3: 1, pos 4: 1, pos 5: 1. Most-changed position: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (1).

Change sequence: 4, 5, 3, 1, 2.

Letter mix: V→V 1, V→C 2, C→V 0, C→C 2.

Word stats: 6 words, 9 unique letters. Start/target share 0 positions.

Cover the steps and work from both MARIO and WITCH first. This ladder needs 5 moves, and the endpoints already share 0 letter positions—so a useful move does not always look immediately closer to the target.

The recorded route changes position 4 from I to C first, but saves position 2 (A to I) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

At the midpoint, MATCH matches 3 target positions. On your replay, explain why that bridge gives you more options than a random swap; this path changes position 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 most often.

Practice prompt: choose two unfamiliar bridge words, check their definitions, and write a short sentence for each. Then replay MARIO to WITCH without looking at the route and compare your reasoning with the solution.