Rung #45: PAIRS to FILED — the solution

The Rung ladder from September 28, 2026: PAIRS to FILED, one letter at a time, every step a real word. Par is 7: the shortest climb there is takes 5 rungs, and par gives you 2 to spare.

The puzzle

Climb from PAIRS to FILED. 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 5 rungs; par is 2 more, so the shortest route comes in under it. Without the leap the shortest climb is 6 rungs; the leap saves 1.

The walkthrough

A climb under par, one of 3 shortest: at every step a single letter changes and every word on the way is one the game accepts.

1. PAIRS → PALES — the leap: I becomes L and R becomes E, two letters in one move for two rungs.
2. PALES → PILES — the second letter, A becomes I.
3. PILES → FILES — the first letter, P becomes F.
4. FILES → FILED — the fifth letter, S becomes D.

Other routes as short: PAIRS · PALES · PALED · PILED · FILED; PAIRS · PALES · PILES · PILED · FILED.

The answer

PAIRS · PALES · PILES · FILES · FILED — 5 rungs, the leap landing on the word in italics.

Previous: Rung #44 (Sun, Sep 27) · Next: Rung #46 (Tue, Sep 29) · All Rung solutions

About Rung

Rung is Noggin’s daily word ladder: five 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, and a hint when you are stuck. How to play Rung, or play today’s.