Word Ladders

A word ladder is a sequence of words in which only one letter changes at each step. Theoretically, the shortest possible ladder with n-letter words, and no matching letters, is n+1 steps. For example:

boy bay may man

Hardest four-letter ladders

The hardest 4-letter ladders I've found have 17 steps:

anew knew know snow show shod shed seed deed dyed dyes eyes eves even oven omen amen

knee knew know snow show shod shed seed deed dyed dyes eyes eves even oven omen amen

Hardest three-letter ladders

The longest word ladders I've found with three-letter words:

ivy icy ice ace act ant and end

ivy icy ice ace act apt opt ops ups


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