Poople #254: NERD to POOP

Path analysis

This route reaches POOP in 6 moves. Breadth-first search reaches every route with fewer moves first, so POOP cannot be reached in fewer than 6 moves from NERD.

Moves

6

Difficulty

Hard

Shortest paths

5

The dictionary has 5 equally short routes; the route below is one of them.

1. Move 1: NERD → HERD — change the 1st letter from N to H.
2. Move 2: HERD → HEED — change the 3rd letter from R to E.
3. Move 3: HEED → HOED — change the 2nd letter from E to O.
4. Move 4: HOED → HOOD — change the 3rd letter from E to O.
5. Move 5: HOOD → HOOP — change the 4th letter from D to P.
6. Move 6: HOOP → POOP — change the 1st letter from H to P.