Word Ladder Rush
Play Word Ladder Rush free online. Change one letter at a time to turn the bottom word into the top word, using four-letter words, and beat the ticking clock.
How to Play Word Ladder Rush
A word ladder starts with one four-letter word at the bottom and a different four-letter word at the top. Your job is to climb from the bottom word to the top word by changing just one letter at a time. Every word on the way, every rung, has to be a real word.
For example, you could climb from COLD to WARM like this: COLD, CORD, CARD, WARD, WARM. Each step changes exactly one letter and keeps the other three in place. You cannot add letters, remove letters or swap their order.
Each ladder shows its par, the fewest steps it can be solved in. You may take more steps if you need to, but matching par earns a big bonus. Each finished ladder scores points for every rung you climbed and for its length, plus a bonus for the time left, and adds seconds to the clock.
You start with 75 seconds. Ladders get longer as you solve them, from three steps up to five. If you get stuck, skip the ladder for a new one, at a cost of ten seconds. The game ends when the clock runs out.
Controls
Touch
- Tap one of the four letter boxes, tap a letter on the on-screen keyboard to change it, then tap Go to climb. Back steps down a rung and Skip gives a new ladder.
Mouse
- Click the boxes, keys and buttons the same way.
Keyboard
- Left and Right pick a letter box, Up and Down change its letter, or type a letter. Enter climbs, Backspace steps back down and the ] key skips. P and M are the pause and mute keys, so use Up and Down or the on-screen keys for those two letters.
Tips and Tricks
- Look at the letters the bottom and top words already share. Those positions can usually stay put.
- Vowels are the easiest letters to change. A middle vowel swap often opens a path that consonants cannot.
- If a rung leads nowhere, press Back rather than skipping. Stepping down costs nothing.
- Skipping is cheap early on. Save your time for longer ladders later.
About the Game
Word Ladder Rush turns a classic pencil puzzle into a race against the clock. Every ladder is made fresh from a built-in list of common four-letter words, and it is always solvable in exactly the par shown.
It is drawn like chalk on a green school blackboard, with a full on-screen keyboard, so it plays as well on a phone as on a computer. Your best score is kept in this browser and can go on the Top 10 board.
Word Ladder Rush FAQ
What words are allowed in Word Ladder Rush?
Common four-letter English words from the game's built-in list. Names, abbreviations and rude words are not included.
Can a ladder be impossible?
No. Every ladder is checked when it is made and can always be solved in the number of steps shown as par.
Can I use the same word twice?
No. Each rung must be a word you have not used yet on that ladder.
How do I add seconds to the ladder clock?
Every solved ladder adds seconds to the clock. Long runs add a little less each time.
