Poople #101: FLEX to POOP

Path analysis

This route reaches POOP in 5 moves. Breadth-first search reaches every route with fewer moves first, so POOP cannot be reached in fewer than 5 moves from FLEX.

Moves

5

Difficulty

Hard

Shortest paths

6

The dictionary has 6 equally short routes; the route below is one of them.

1. Move 1: FLEX → FLAX — change the 3rd letter from E to A.
2. Move 2: FLAX → FLAP — change the 4th letter from X to P.
3. Move 3: FLAP → PLAP — change the 1st letter from F to P.
4. Move 4: PLAP → PLOP — change the 3rd letter from A to O.
5. Move 5: PLOP → POOP — change the 2nd letter from L to O.