Weaver

About Weaver

Weaver is a browser word ladder that has been running on wordwormdormdork.com since early 2022. The puzzle type is old: Lewis Carroll published word ladders under the name Doublets in 1879. Weaver gives it a daily format, the same pair of words for everyone, and a grid where each row is a word you have typed.

Each puzzle shows a start word at the top and a target word at the bottom, usually four or five letters long. You type a word that differs from the row above by exactly one letter, in the same position, and it must be in the dictionary. Letters that already match the target in the same spot are coloured green, so you can see how close you are. There is no limit on the number of steps; you simply keep going until the next word you type sits one letter away from the target.

When you finish, the game tells you how many moves the shortest possible ladder needed and shows a solution of that length. Hitting that number is what keeps players coming back, along with a streak counter. The site, now called Weaver Games, also has Weaver X, where you may add or remove a letter as well as change one, and Subtext, where you find words hidden inside a longer word. Past puzzles are in an archive, and an optional sign in syncs streaks between devices.

It suits people who like Wordle but want a puzzle about paths rather than guesses, and it takes only a few minutes when the ladder clicks.

How to play Weaver

1. Read today's start word at the top and the target word at the bottom.
2. Type a real word that changes exactly one letter of the word above it, keeping the other letters in place.
3. Watch for green letters: they already match the target in that position.
4. Keep adding words, one letter change each, until your last word is one step from the target.
5. Compare your move count with the fewest possible shown at the end, and try the puzzle again or open Weaver X and Subtext.

Screenshots

Tips

• Work out which letters of the start word already match the target and try not to change them unless you have to.
• Vowels are the usual blocker; plan a step where the vowel changes, since many consonant swaps only work around one vowel.
• Look at the target from the bottom up: think of words one letter away from it and aim for those.
• Plurals and short common words make handy bridges when a direct route stalls.
• If your ladder is long, look at the shortest solution afterwards; the same tricks come up again and again.

Questions