Rung #16: CARE to SOIL — the solution

The Rung ladder from August 30, 2026: CARE to SOIL, one letter at a time, every step a real word. Par is 5: the shortest climb there is takes 4 rungs, and par gives you one to spare.

The puzzle

Climb from CARE to SOIL. The shortest climb through the whole accepted dictionary, counting the leap — two letters changed in one move, once, at the cost of two rungs — is 4 rungs; par is one more, so the shortest route comes in under it. Without the leap the shortest climb is 5 rungs; the leap saves 1.

The walkthrough

A climb under par, one of 4 shortest: at every step a single letter changes and every word on the way is one the game accepts.

1. CARE → CARL — the fourth letter, E becomes L.
2. CARL → COIL — the leap: A becomes O and R becomes I, two letters in one move for two rungs.
3. COIL → SOIL — the first letter, C becomes S.

Other routes as short: CARE · CARL · SAIL · SOIL; CARE · CORE · COIL · SOIL; CARE · CORE · SORE · SOIL.

The answer

CARE · CARL · COIL · SOIL — 4 rungs, the leap landing on the word in italics.

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About Rung

Rung is Noggin’s daily word ladder: four letters that day, five now, one changed at a time, par set by the shortest climb there is. Any real word is a rung; a two-letter leap is yours once a day, and a hint when you are stuck. How to play Rung, or play today’s.