Word Ladder

About Word Ladder

Start at COLT and climb to FAST — but every rung of the ladder has to be a real word, and you may only change one letter at a time. Thirty ladders in rising order, from two-step three-letter climbs up to six-step four-letter ones. Every ladder's shortest route was worked out by the computer before the game shipped, so the 'Best' number is the true minimum: match it and you have found the very best path there is. The first four ladders light up the letters that work, then you're on your own.

Word Ladder is one of our free words & letters games for kids — play it right here in your browser, or browse all our free online games.

How to Play

• Tap the letter box you want to change.
• Pick a new letter — the word it makes must be a real word.
• Keep climbing until you reach the word on the right.
• Undo steps back a rung if you get stuck.

Tips & Tricks

• Look at the target word and ask which letters already match.
• Sometimes you must move away from the target before you can reach it.
• Beating 'Best' is impossible — matching it is the real win.

What Kids Learn

Word Ladder is more than fun — it helps build real skills:

• Spelling patterns and letter substitution
• Vocabulary of short common words
• Planning a route several steps ahead

Word Ladder — Frequently Asked Questions