The four-letter word ladder rules
- Read the active daily starting word in the official game.
- Replace exactly one letter, keeping its position and the other three letters unchanged.
- Enter a four-letter word accepted by the game.
- Repeat until you reach POOP. A shorter accepted route uses fewer moves.
A full example
TIPS → TOPS → BOPS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP.
- TIPS → TOPS: I changes to O in position 2.
- TOPS → BOPS: T changes to B in position 1.
- BOPS → BOOS: P changes to O in position 3.
- BOOS → BOOP: S changes to P in position 4.
- BOOP → POOP: B changes to P in position 1.
Six words mean five moves: the starting word is not itself a move.
When is the next puzzle available?
The official schedule changes at 08:00 UTC daily, or 16:00 in Shanghai. Our puzzle detail date is the UTC date the puzzle starts. The homepage separately shows the current UTC calendar day and the exact active interval, so a puzzle that started yesterday can still be today’s active puzzle.
Why is my word rejected?
The official game decides which words are accepted. A word can be real English and still be absent from that game’s dictionary. Also check spelling and whether exactly one letter changed. Our solver can exclude rejected words and find another route in its snapshot.
What if there are multiple answers?
Different valid routes can have the same number of moves. The dated guide shows one shortest route and compares opening options. Read our strategy guide for examples of useful detours.