In a word builder you are given a word which you have to transform into a bigger word in a series of steps. With each step you can rearrange the letters and either add a new letter or swap a letter already in the word for a different one. Each step must form a common English word. The objective is to get to the bigger word from the smaller word in the least number of steps.

Try to change RED to SCARLET in the smallest number of steps.

The following lists horizontally solutions to the puzzle, leaving out the words RED and SCARLET themselves. The number at the end of each line is the number of solutions altogether that that line represents, counting exchanging one or more words with anagrams. The anagrams for the various words that appear are listed at the bottom, with the word used in the solutions at the top shown in bold face. Some uncommon words have been excluded.

EAR CARE SCARE TRACES 252
EAR CARE SCARE CLEARS 36
EAR CARE TRACE TRACES 315
EAR CARE TRACE RECTAL 135
EAR CARE CLEAR RECTAL 27
EAR CARE CLEAR CLEARS 9
EAR EARS SCARE TRACES 336
EAR EARS SCARE CLEARS 48
EAR EARS STARE ALERTS 144
EAR EARS STARE TRACES 336
EAR EARS LASER ALERTS 72
EAR EARS LASER CLEARS 24
EAR REAL LATER ALERTS 54
EAR REAL LATER RECTAL 54
EAR REAL CLEAR RECTAL 18
EAR REAL CLEAR CLEARS 6
EAR REAL LASER ALERTS 36
EAR REAL LASER CLEARS 12
EAR TEAR LATER ALERTS 54
EAR TEAR LATER RECTAL 54
EAR TEAR STARE ALERTS 72
EAR TEAR STARE TRACES 168
EAR TEAR TRACE TRACES 210
EAR TEAR TRACE RECTAL 90
DEAR CARE SCARE TRACES 252
DEAR CARE SCARE CLEARS 36
DEAR CARE TRACE TRACES 315
DEAR CARE TRACE RECTAL 135
DEAR CARE CLEAR RECTAL 27
DEAR CARE CLEAR CLEARS 9
DEAR EARS SCARE TRACES 336
DEAR EARS SCARE CLEARS 48
DEAR EARS STARE ALERTS 144
DEAR EARS STARE TRACES 336
DEAR EARS LASER ALERTS 72
DEAR EARS LASER CLEARS 24
DEAR REAL LATER ALERTS 54
DEAR REAL LATER RECTAL 54
DEAR REAL CLEAR RECTAL 18
DEAR REAL CLEAR CLEARS 6
DEAR REAL LASER ALERTS 36
DEAR REAL LASER CLEARS 12
DEAR TEAR LATER ALERTS 54
DEAR TEAR LATER RECTAL 54
DEAR TEAR STARE ALERTS 72
DEAR TEAR STARE TRACES 168
DEAR TEAR TRACE TRACES 210
DEAR TEAR TRACE RECTAL 90
DEAR CARED SCARE TRACES 420
DEAR CARED SCARE CLEARS 60
DEAR CARED TRACE TRACES 525
DEAR CARED TRACE RECTAL 225
DEAR CARED CLEAR RECTAL 45
DEAR CARED CLEAR CLEARS 15
DEAR CARED SCARED TRACES 420
DEAR CARED SCARED CLEARS 60
DEAR CARED SCARED CRADLES 60
DEAR CARED TRACED TRACES 315
DEAR CARED TRACED RECTAL 135
DEAR CARED CRADLE RECTAL 90
DEAR CARED CRADLE CLEARS 30
DEAR CARED CRADLE CRADLES 30
DEAR READS SCARE TRACES 252
DEAR READS SCARE CLEARS 36
DEAR READS STARE ALERTS 108
DEAR READS STARE TRACES 252
DEAR READS LASER ALERTS 54
DEAR READS LASER CLEARS 18
DEAR READS SCARED TRACES 252
DEAR READS SCARED CLEARS 36
DEAR READS SCARED CRADLES 36
DEAR READS STARED ALERTS 108
DEAR READS STARED TRACES 252
DEAR TRADE LATER ALERTS 108
DEAR TRADE LATER RECTAL 108
DEAR TRADE STARE ALERTS 144
DEAR TRADE STARE TRACES 336
DEAR TRADE TRACE TRACES 420
DEAR TRADE TRACE RECTAL 180
DEAR TRADE TRACED TRACES 252
DEAR TRADE TRACED RECTAL 108
DEAR TRADE STARED ALERTS 144
DEAR TRADE STARED TRACES 336
REDS EARS SCARE TRACES 112
REDS EARS SCARE CLEARS 16
REDS EARS STARE ALERTS 48
REDS EARS STARE TRACES 112
REDS EARS LASER ALERTS 24
REDS EARS LASER CLEARS 8
REDS REST STARE ALERTS 12
REDS REST STARE TRACES 28
REDS REST CREST TRACES 7
REDS READS SCARE TRACES 84
REDS READS SCARE CLEARS 12
REDS READS STARE ALERTS 36
REDS READS STARE TRACES 84
REDS READS LASER ALERTS 18
REDS READS LASER CLEARS 6
REDS READS SCARED TRACES 84
REDS READS SCARED CLEARS 12
REDS READS SCARED CRADLES 12
REDS READS STARED ALERTS 36
REDS READS STARED TRACES 84

The numbers of ways, based on anagrams, totals 11,929.

The anagrams which can be substituted are (per line), alphabetically by bold-faced word (the words used in the above solutions) (non-anagrammed words appear by themselves):

ALERTS ALTERS STALER
ACRE CARE RACE
ARCED CADRE CARED CEDAR RACED
CLEAR
CLEARS
CRADLE RECLAD
CRADLES
CREST
DARE DEAR READ
ARE EAR ERA
ARSE EARS ERAS SEAR
EARLS LASER
ALERT ALTER LATER
DARES DEARS READS
EARL REAL
CARTEL CLARET RECTAL
REDS
REST
ACRES CARES RACES SCARE
CADRES CEDARS SACRED SCARED
DATERS STARED TRADES TREADS
RATE TEAR
ASTER RATES STARE TEARS
CARET CATER CRATE REACT TRACE
CARTED CRATED TRACED
CARETS CASTER CATERS CRATES REACTS RECAST TRACES
DATER RATED TRADE TREAD

Posted by Charlie on 2003-10-17 11:47:18