Word ladder climb: how high can you go in 90 seconds?
Same rules as a word ladder, but there is no goal word. Start from today's word, change one letter at a time, and stack as many rungs as you can before the clock or a dead end stops you.
- 90seconds from the moment you press Start
- 1start word a day, same for everyone
- 0repeats: every word once
On the ground
Rungs Climb
- One letter per step, real words only.
- There is no goal word: climb as high as you can.
- The 90 seconds start when you press Start. A dead end stops the climb.
How it works
Rules of the climb
- One letter per step. Each new word differs from the last by exactly one letter.
- Real words only, no repeats. A word you already used is gone for this climb.
- The clock starts when you do. You have 90 seconds from the moment you press Start.
- Dead ends are final. If no unused word is one letter away, the climb is over.
How to climb higher
Stay on words with lots of neighbours. Words ending in common patterns such as -ATE, -INE or -OLE usually have several ways on, while words with rare letters run out fast. Change the first letter when you can: it tends to keep you in a big family of rhyming words. And look one step ahead, because a word with only one way out is a trap.
Want a goal and no clock instead? Play today's word ladder or unlimited ladders.
Good to know
Questions
How does the word ladder climb work?
You get one start word a day. Change one letter to make a new four-letter word, then do it again. Every valid word is one rung. The clock starts when you press Start and runs for 90 seconds.
What ends a climb?
Either the 90 seconds run out, or you reach a dead end: a word with no unused word one letter away. Words cannot be repeated.
How is this different from the daily ladder?
The daily ladder has a goal word and a par, and you can take your time. The climb has no goal and no hints: it is about how many rungs you can chain against the clock.
Can I try again?
The start word is the same for everyone each day, and this browser keeps one climb per day so you can compare honestly with friends. A new climb opens at midnight in your time zone.