Daily Word Ladder Solution 2026-05-15: LIKED → TIRED

Date: 2026-05-15

LIKED → TIRED

Difficulty: Medium Goal Steps: 6 5 Letters

Today's Word Ladder puzzle connects LIKED to TIRED in 6 steps. This 5-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 LIKED → LINED

Change the 3rd letter K to N, turning LIKED into LINED.

Step 2 LINED → LINES

Change the 5th letter D to S, turning LINED into LINES.

Step 3 LINES → WINES

Change the 1st letter L to W, turning LINES into WINES.

Step 4 WINES → WIRES

Change the 3rd letter N to R, turning WINES into WIRES.

Step 5 WIRES → TIRES

Change the 1st letter W to T, turning WIRES into TIRES.

Step 6 TIRES → TIRED

Change the 5th letter S to D, turning TIRES into TIRED.

Puzzle Insights

Change positions: pos 1: 2, pos 3: 2, pos 5: 2. Most-changed position: 1, 3, 5 (2).

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

Letter mix: V→V 0, V→C 0, C→V 0, C→C 6.

Word stats: 7 words, 10 unique letters. Start/target share 3 positions.

Try It Before You Reveal the Path

Cover the steps and work from both LIKED and TIRED first. This ladder needs 6 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 3 from K to N 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, WINES 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 and 5 most often.

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