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Word ladder solver / DEAD
STARTING-WORD GUIDE

DEAD to POOP.

A reusable word-ladder guide, rather than a dated daily puzzle. Every move below changes exactly one letter.

6minimum moves
24shortest routes
Moderatedistance-based rating

A shortest path from DEAD.

DEAD reaches POOP in 6 moves. The list includes 7 words because the starting position costs no move.

  1. StartDEADThe starting word; no move used
  2. Move 1BEADReplace D with B in position 1
  3. Move 2BEARReplace D with R in position 4
  4. Move 3BOARReplace E with O in position 2
  5. Move 4BOORReplace A with O in position 3
  6. Move 5BOOPReplace R with P in position 4
  7. Move 6POOPReplace B with P in position 1
Compare 24 shortest routes
  1. DEAD · BEAD · BEAR · BOAR · BOOR · BOOP · POOP
  2. DEAD · BEAD · BEAR · BOAR · BOOR · POOR · POOP
  3. DEAD · BEAD · BEAT · BOAT · BOOT · BOOP · POOP
  4. DEAD · DEAL · DELL · DOLL · POLL · POOL · POOP
  5. DEAD · DEAN · LEAN · LOAN · LOON · LOOP · POOP
  6. DEAD · DEAR · BEAR · BOAR · BOOR · BOOP · POOP
  7. DEAD · DEAR · BEAR · BOAR · BOOR · POOR · POOP
  8. DEAD · DEAR · DEER · DOER · DOOR · POOR · POOP
  9. DEAD · DEED · DEEP · PEEP · PREP · PROP · POOP
  10. DEAD · DEED · DEER · DOER · DOOR · POOR · POOP
  11. DEAD · DEED · HEED · HOED · HOOD · HOOP · POOP
  12. DEAD · DEED · PEED · PEEP · PREP · PROP · POOP
  13. DEAD · DEED · PEED · PLED · PLOD · PLOP · POOP
  14. DEAD · HEAD · HEED · HOED · HOOD · HOOP · POOP
  15. DEAD · HEAD · HELD · HOLD · HOOD · HOOP · POOP
  16. DEAD · LEAD · LEAM · LOAM · LOOM · LOOP · POOP
  17. DEAD · LEAD · LEAN · LOAN · LOON · LOOP · POOP
  18. DEAD · LEAD · LOAD · GOAD · GOOD · GOOP · POOP
  19. DEAD · LEAD · LOAD · LOAM · LOOM · LOOP · POOP
  20. DEAD · LEAD · LOAD · LOAN · LOON · LOOP · POOP
  21. DEAD · READ · ROAD · GOAD · GOOD · GOOP · POOP
  22. DEAD · READ · ROAD · ROOD · GOOD · GOOP · POOP
  23. DEAD · READ · ROAD · ROOD · HOOD · HOOP · POOP
  24. DEAD · READ · ROAD · ROOD · ROOF · POOF · POOP

This list contains every shortest route in the checked word list.

Which first moves work?

8 next words keep you on a shortest route from DEAD: BEAD, DEAL, DEAN, DEAR, DEED, HEAD, LEAD, READ.

The table lists all 11 accepted one-letter neighbors. “Moves remaining” starts after that first move. “Total via this word” includes it, so you can compare that choice with the 6-move minimum.

Next wordMoves remainingTotal via this wordResult
BEAD56Shortest route
DEAF67Longer route
DEAL56Shortest route
DEAN56Shortest route
DEAR56Shortest route
DEED56Shortest route
DYAD67Longer route
HEAD56Shortest route
LEAD56Shortest route
MEAD67Longer route
READ56Shortest route

Why 6 moves is the minimum.

DEAD differs from POOP in 4 letter positions, so any route needs at least 4 changes. The accepted intermediate words require a longer route: the first complete connection in our search occurs at 6 moves.

The solver searches the checked word graph in distance order. It reaches every word one move away before trying two moves, then continues until it reaches POOP. The minimum applies to this word list; another game or dictionary may accept different connections.

Our Moderate label uses distance only: up to 5 moves is Easy, 6 is Moderate, 7 is Tricky, 8 is Hard, and 9 or more is Expert. It does not measure how familiar you will find each word.

Try DEAD with a different target or read the verification method.

More 6-move ladders.

These starting words have the same shortest distance to POOP in the checked list.