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

Change sequence: 1, 4, 3, 1.

Letter mix: V→V 0, V→C 1, C→V 0, C→C 3.

Word stats: 5 words, 7 unique letters. Start/target share 1 position.

Cover the steps and work from both SALE and MASK first. This ladder needs 4 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 1 from S to T first, but saves position 1 (T to M) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

At the midpoint, TALK 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 SALE to MASK without looking at the route and compare your reasoning with the solution.