STARTING-WORD GUIDE

DINK to POOP.

A reusable word-ladder guide, rather than a dated daily puzzle. Every move below changes exactly one letter.

6minimum moves
30shortest routes
Moderatedistance-based rating

A shortest path from DINK.

DINK reaches POOP in 6 moves. The list includes 7 words because the starting position costs no move.

  1. StartDINKThe starting word; no move used
  2. Move 1DANKReplace I with A in position 2
  3. Move 2BANKReplace D with B in position 1
  4. Move 3BONKReplace A with O in position 2
  5. Move 4BOOKReplace N with O in position 3
  6. Move 5BOOPReplace K with P in position 4
  7. Move 6POOPReplace B with P in position 1
Compare 30 shortest routes
  1. DINK · DANK · BANK · BONK · BOOK · BOOP · POOP
  2. DINK · DANK · HANK · HONK · HOOK · HOOP · POOP
  3. DINK · DICK · DOCK · BOCK · BOOK · BOOP · POOP
  4. DINK · DICK · DOCK · COCK · COOK · COOP · POOP
  5. DINK · DICK · DOCK · HOCK · HOOK · HOOP · POOP
  6. DINK · DICK · DOCK · LOCK · LOOK · LOOP · POOP
  7. DINK · DICK · HICK · HOCK · HOOK · HOOP · POOP
  8. DINK · DICK · LICK · LOCK · LOOK · LOOP · POOP
  9. DINK · DINE · DIME · DOME · POME · POMP · POOP
  10. DINK · DINE · DONE · DOME · POME · POMP · POOP
  11. DINK · DIRK · DORK · CORK · COOK · COOP · POOP
  12. DINK · DUNK · BUNK · BONK · BOOK · BOOP · POOP
  13. DINK · DUNK · HUNK · HONK · HOOK · HOOP · POOP
  14. DINK · LINK · LICK · LOCK · LOOK · LOOP · POOP
  15. DINK · MINK · MONK · BONK · BOOK · BOOP · POOP
  16. DINK · MINK · MONK · CONK · COOK · COOP · POOP
  17. DINK · MINK · MONK · HONK · HOOK · HOOP · POOP
  18. DINK · MINK · MONK · MOOK · BOOK · BOOP · POOP
  19. DINK · MINK · MONK · MOOK · COOK · COOP · POOP
  20. DINK · MINK · MONK · MOOK · HOOK · HOOP · POOP
  21. DINK · MINK · MONK · MOOK · LOOK · LOOP · POOP
  22. DINK · MINK · MONK · MOOK · MOOR · POOR · POOP
  23. DINK · TINK · TONK · BONK · BOOK · BOOP · POOP
  24. DINK · TINK · TONK · CONK · COOK · COOP · POOP
  25. DINK · TINK · TONK · HONK · HOOK · HOOP · POOP
  26. DINK · TINK · TONK · TOOK · BOOK · BOOP · POOP
  27. DINK · TINK · TONK · TOOK · COOK · COOP · POOP
  28. DINK · TINK · TONK · TOOK · HOOK · HOOP · POOP
  29. DINK · TINK · TONK · TOOK · LOOK · LOOP · POOP
  30. DINK · TINK · TONK · TOOK · TOOL · POOL · POOP

This list contains every shortest route in the checked word list.

Which first moves work?

8 next words keep you on a shortest route from DINK: DANK, DICK, DINE, DIRK, DUNK, LINK, MINK, TINK.

The table lists all 19 accepted one-letter neighbors. “Moves remaining” starts after that first move. “Total via this word” includes it, so you can compare that choice with the 6-move minimum.

Next wordMoves remainingTotal via this wordResult
DANK56Shortest route
DICK56Shortest route
DINE56Shortest route
DING67Longer route
DINO67Longer route
DINT67Longer route
DIRK56Shortest route
DISK67Longer route
DUNK56Shortest route
FINK67Longer route
KINK67Longer route
LINK56Shortest route
MINK56Shortest route
OINK67Longer route
PINK67Longer route
RINK67Longer route
SINK67Longer route
TINK56Shortest route
WINK67Longer route

Why 6 moves is the minimum.

DINK differs from POOP in 4 letter positions, so any route needs at least 4 changes. The accepted intermediate words require a longer route: the first complete connection in our search occurs at 6 moves.

The solver searches the checked word graph in distance order. It reaches every word one move away before trying two moves, then continues until it reaches POOP. The minimum applies to this word list; another game or dictionary may accept different connections.

Our Moderate label uses distance only: up to 5 moves is Easy, 6 is Moderate, 7 is Tricky, 8 is Hard, and 9 or more is Expert. It does not measure how familiar you will find each word.

Try DINK with a different target or read the verification method.

More 6-move ladders.

These starting words have the same shortest distance to POOP in the checked list.