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

Change sequence: 4, 1, 3, 2.

Letter mix: V→V 1, V→C 1, C→V 0, C→C 2.

Word stats: 5 words, 7 unique letters. Start/target share 0 positions.

Cover the steps and work from both HOOK and WARD first. This ladder needs 4 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 4 from K to D first, but saves position 2 (O to A) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

At the midpoint, WOOD 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 2 and 3 and 4 most often.

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