Daily Word Ladder Solution 2026-04-17: LACK → PUTS

Date: 2026-04-17

LACK → PUTS

Difficulty: Medium Goal Steps: 7 4 Letters

Today's Word Ladder puzzle connects LACK to PUTS in 7 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 LACK → PACK

Change the 1st letter L to P, turning LACK into PACK.

Step 2 PACK → PICK

Change the 2nd letter A to I, turning PACK into PICK.

Step 3 PICK → PINK

Change the 3rd letter C to N, turning PICK into PINK.

Step 4 PINK → PINS

Change the 4th letter K to S, turning PINK into PINS.

Step 5 PINS → PENS

Change the 2nd letter I to E, turning PINS into PENS.

Step 6 PENS → PETS

Change the 3rd letter N to T, turning PENS into PETS.

Step 7 PETS → PUTS

Change the 2nd letter E to U, turning PETS into PUTS.

Puzzle Insights

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

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

Letter mix: V→V 3, V→C 0, C→V 0, C→C 4.

Word stats: 8 words, 11 unique letters. Start/target share 0 positions.

Try It Before You Reveal the Path

Cover the steps and work from both LACK and PUTS first. This ladder needs 7 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 1 from L to P first, but saves position 2 (E to U) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

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

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