Daily Word Ladder Solution 2025-12-07: TIDE → FOLK

Date: 2025-12-07

TIDE → FOLK

Difficulty: Medium Goal Steps: 6 4 Letters

Today's Word Ladder puzzle connects TIDE to FOLK in 6 steps. This 4-letter word puzzle challenges your vocabulary and logic skills. Can you find the shortest path?

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Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1 TIDE → TILE

Change the 3rd letter D to L, turning TIDE into TILE.

Step 2 TILE → MILE

Change the 1st letter T to M, turning TILE into MILE.

Step 3 MILE → MILD

Change the 4th letter E to D, turning MILE into MILD.

Step 4 MILD → MOLD

Change the 2nd letter I to O, turning MILD into MOLD.

Step 5 MOLD → FOLD

Change the 1st letter M to F, turning MOLD into FOLD.

Step 6 FOLD → FOLK

Change the 4th letter D to K, turning FOLD into FOLK.

Puzzle Insights

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

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

Letter mix: V→V 1, V→C 1, C→V 0, C→C 4.

Word stats: 7 words, 9 unique letters. Start/target share 0 positions.

Try It Before You Reveal the Path

Cover the steps and work from both TIDE and FOLK first. This ladder needs 6 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 3 from D to L first, but saves position 4 (D to K) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

At the midpoint, MILD matches 1 target position. 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 TIDE to FOLK without looking at the route and compare your reasoning with the solution.