Daily Word Ladder Solution 2026-06-09: TAIL → GARY

Date: 2026-06-09

TAIL → GARY

Difficulty: Medium Goal Steps: 7 4 Letters

Today's Word Ladder puzzle connects TAIL to GARY 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 TAIL → TALL

Change the 3rd letter I to L, turning TAIL into TALL.

Step 2 TALL → CALL

Change the 1st letter T to C, turning TALL into CALL.

Step 3 CALL → CARL

Change the 3rd letter L to R, turning CALL into CARL.

Step 4 CARL → CARS

Change the 4th letter L to S, turning CARL into CARS.

Step 5 CARS → MARS

Change the 1st letter C to M, turning CARS into MARS.

Step 6 MARS → MARY

Change the 4th letter S to Y, turning MARS into MARY.

Step 7 MARY → GARY

Change the 1st letter M to G, turning MARY into GARY.

Puzzle Insights

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

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

Letter mix: V→V 0, V→C 1, C→V 0, C→C 6.

Word stats: 8 words, 10 unique letters. Start/target share 1 position.

Try It Before You Reveal the Path

Cover the steps and work from both TAIL and GARY first. This ladder needs 7 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 3 from I to L first, but saves position 1 (M to G) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

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

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