Daily Word Ladder Solution 2026-07-13: RACES → LANES

Date: 2026-07-13

RACES → LANES

Difficulty: Medium Goal Steps: 6 5 Letters

Today's Word Ladder puzzle connects RACES to LANES 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 RACES → RACKS

Change the 4th letter E to K, turning RACES into RACKS.

Step 2 RACKS → RANKS

Change the 3rd letter C to N, turning RACKS into RANKS.

Step 3 RANKS → BANKS

Change the 1st letter R to B, turning RANKS into BANKS.

Step 4 BANKS → BANDS

Change the 4th letter K to D, turning BANKS into BANDS.

Step 5 BANDS → LANDS

Change the 1st letter B to L, turning BANDS into LANDS.

Step 6 LANDS → LANES

Change the 4th letter D to E, turning LANDS into LANES.

Puzzle Insights

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

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

Letter mix: V→V 0, V→C 1, C→V 1, C→C 4.

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 RACES and LANES 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 4 from E to K first, but saves position 4 (D to E) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

At the midpoint, BANKS matches 3 target positions. 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 RACES to LANES without looking at the route and compare your reasoning with the solution.