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

Change sequence: 4, 1, 4, 1.

Letter mix: V→V 0, V→C 0, C→V 0, C→C 4.

Word stats: 5 words, 9 unique letters. Start/target share 3 positions.

Cover the steps and work from both BRAKE and TRADE first. This ladder needs 4 moves, and the endpoints already share 3 letter positions—so a useful move does not always look immediately closer to the target.

The recorded route changes position 4 from K to V first, but saves position 1 (G to T) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

At the midpoint, GRAVE 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 4 most often.

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