Rung #18: KITE to BOTH — the solution

The Rung ladder from September 1, 2026: KITE to BOTH, one letter at a time, every step a real word. Par is 4.

The puzzle

Climb from KITE to BOTH. Par is the shortest climb through the whole accepted dictionary, so it cannot be beaten. 4 rungs is the fewest there are.

The walkthrough

A climb that makes par, one of 14 shortest: at every step a single letter changes and every word on the way is one the game accepts.

1. KITE → BITE — the first letter, K becomes B.
2. BITE → BATE — the second letter, I becomes A.
3. BATE → BATH — the fourth letter, E becomes H.
4. BATH → BOTH — the second letter, A becomes O.

Other routes as short: KITE · BITE · BETE · BETH · BOTH; KITE · BITE · BITS · BOTS · BOTH; KITE · BITE · BITT · BOTT · BOTH; and more.

The answer

KITE · BITE · BATE · BATH · BOTH — 4 rungs.

Previous: Rung #17 (Mon, Aug 31) · Next: Rung #19 (Wed, Sep 2)

About Rung

Rung is Noggin’s daily word ladder: four letters, 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. How to play Rung, or play today’s.