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

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

Letter mix: V→V 2, V→C 0, C→V 0, C→C 6.

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

Cover the steps and work from both TIPS and MATH first. This ladder needs 8 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 2 from I to O first, but saves position 4 (S to H) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

At the midpoint, SANS matches 1 target position. 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 TIPS to MATH without looking at the route and compare your reasoning with the solution.