Word Steps
Climb from one word to another by changing a single letter at a time. Every step has to be a real word — cat, cot, dot, dog. There's no timer and no way to lose: if you get stuck, ask for a hint.
English
Short ladders
Three letters. A good place to start.
- Hat to Cap 2 steps ✓
- Toy to Box 2 steps ✓
- Pot to Pan 2 steps ✓
- Cat to Dog 3 steps ✓
- Sun to Sky 3 steps ✓
- Red to Hot 3 steps ✓
- Cow to Pig 4 steps ✓
- Mud to Pie 4 steps ✓
- Car to Bus 4 steps ✓
- Top to Bed 4 steps ✓
Longer ladders
Four letters, and a few more steps to climb.
- Cook to Food 3 steps ✓
- Bike to Ride 2 steps ✓
- Cold to Warm 4 steps ✓
- Milk to Cake 4 steps ✓
- Wood to Fire 4 steps ✓
- Corn to Farm 4 steps ✓
- Hand to Foot 5 steps ✓
- King to Gold 5 steps ✓
- Lake to Pond 5 steps ✓
- Bird to Nest 5 steps ✓
Japanese
Written in hiragana, with the kana on screen to tap — no Japanese keyboard needed.
Short ladders
Two characters. Every word here connects to another one.
- やま → うみ mountain → sea 2 steps ✓
- くち → みみ mouth → ear 2 steps ✓
- ゆき → あめ snow → rain 2 steps ✓
- かみ → ほん paper → book 2 steps ✓
- ちち → はは father → mother 2 steps ✓
- きた → にし north → west 2 steps ✓
- ねこ → いぬ cat → dog 3 steps ✓
- つき → ほし moon → star 3 steps ✓
- あさ → よる morning → night 3 steps ✓
- くも → そら cloud → sky 4 steps ✓
Longer ladders
Three characters. Japanese adjectives all end in い and plain verbs in う or る, so those are the rungs most of these ladders climb.
Where it comes from
Lewis Carroll invented this puzzle for two bored children at Christmas in 1877 and called it Doublets. He set the first one himself: turn head into tail.