Consider the word 'cheat'. Removing letters one at a time will leave a sequence of words, all the way down to one letter:

cheat
heat
hat
at
a

What is the longest word with this property?

The series from 11-letters down, from the word list I use are:

complecting completing competing compting comping coping oping ping pig pi i
complecting completing competing compting comping coping oping ping pin in n
complecting completing competing compting comping coping oping ping pin in i
complecting completing competing compting comping coping oping ping pin pi i

There are many starting with a 10-letter word, such as

insolating isolating solating slating sating sting sing sin in i

insolating isolating solating slating sating satin sati sat at a

Posted by Charlie on 2007-04-16 15:40:04