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

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

Letter mix: V→V 1, V→C 1, C→V 1, C→C 5.

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

Cover the steps and work from both LONE and LEAF 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 1 from L to B first, but saves position 4 (N to F) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

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

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