Word ladder solver
Only here Counts every shortest ladder between your words and tells you, as you play, whether your next word keeps you on one, with the good next words hidden until you ask.
For Weaver and any word ladder: change one letter at a time, every step a real word. Enter your start and target words to see the fewest steps and every shortest ladder, or check your own ladder one word at a time.
Weaver uses 4-letter words; this works for any ladder of 3 to 5 letters. "Common words only" matches what most ladder games accept.
Loading the word list…
How it works
The solver measures how many steps every word is from the target, starting at the target and spreading out one letter change at a time. The start word's distance is the fewest steps possible, and following words that are each one step closer gives every shortest ladder; the count includes all of them, even when the list shows only the first few.
As you add your own words, it checks each one is a real word and changes exactly one letter, tells you how many steps are left, and whether you're still on a shortest ladder. The good next words stay hidden until you ask.
Word list: SCOWL (common words up to size 35, all words up to size 50). Not affiliated with Weaver.