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

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

Letter mix: V→V 0, V→C 0, C→V 1, C→C 7.

Word stats: 9 words, 10 unique letters. Start/target share 1 position.

Cover the steps and work from both ROLLS and VOTED first. This ladder needs 8 moves, and the endpoints already share 1 letter position—so a useful move does not always look immediately closer to the target.

The recorded route changes position 4 from L to E first, but saves position 5 (S to D) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

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

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