Team to Work
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Team
Meat
Rearrange letters
Tame
Take
Rearrange letters
Chg 1
Tale
Tall
Toll
Chg 1
Chg 1
Chg 1
Ton
Torn
-2, + 1
+1
Worn
Chg 1
Work
Chg 1
Clue
Food that comes from
animals.
Not wild
To get possession of
something. To grab.
A story.
Not short.
A fee paid for a service or
privilege. We had to pay a
one dollar toll to cross the
bridge.
A weight, 2,000 pounds.
To have divided or
separated something by
pulling.
To have caused something
to deteriorate or go bad by
using it or wearing it out.
What teams must do
together.
Spring to Summer
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Spring
String
Sting
Chg 1
-1
Sing
-1
Sling
+1
Slim
Slime
- 2, + 1
+1
Slimmer
+2
Simmer
-1
Summer
Chg 1
Clue
A thread.
What a bee does when it is
angry.
To make music with one’s
voice.
A hanging bandage
suspended from the neck to
support an injured arm.
Thin, not fat or thick.
A thick and slick liquid
produced by animals. Also
called mucous.
More slim. Mary was
slimmer than Margaret.
To heat something just
below the boiling point.
Another season.
Art to Draw
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Art
Cart
+1
Car
-1
Cat
Chg 1
Scat
+1
Sat
Saw
-1
Chg 1
Raw
Chg 1
Straw
+2
Draw
-2, + 1
Clue
A vehicle for transporting
things.
Another name for an
automobile.
A pet that is related to lions
and tigers.
To make something go
away
To have been seated.
An instrument for cutting
wood.
Food that has not been
cooked.
A kind of plant that animals
lay on.
To make pictures with
pencils and pens. A form of
art.
Wet to Rain
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Wet
We
Well
Bell
-1
+2
Chg 1
Belt
Chg 1
Bet
-1
Bat
Chg 1
Brat
Bran
+1
Ch 1
Ran
-1
Rain
+1
Clue
All of us.
In a state of good health.
An object that makes a
ringing noise when struck.
A long piece of material
that is worn around the
waist and used to hold up
one’s pants.
A wager or guess that
something will happen. “I
bet that it won’t rain this
afternoon.”
A long wooden club used
for hitting things.
A spoiled child or person.
The edible coating of a
grain of wheat that is often
separated from the grain
when making white flour.
To walk in a very fast
manner.
What usually causes a
person to get wet when
outdoors?
Sleep to Nap
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Sleep
Seep
-1
Sheep
+1
Peep
- 2, + 1
Peel
Chg 1
Pail
Pal
Lap
Chg 2
-1
Chg 1
Clap
Slap
Sap
+1
Chg 1
-1
Nap
Chg 1
Clue
To allow a liquid to flow or
pass through a barrier
slowly.
An animal from which wool
comes.
A small sound made by a
young bird. Or a brief look.
To pull off the outer layer,
usually from fruit.
Another name for a bucket.
A friend.
Where young children often
on their parents.
How applause is made.
To hit with an open hand.
A liquid that comes from
trees.
To sleep for a short time.
Most to Least
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Most
Mast
Chg 1
Mask
Chg 1
Cask
Chg 1
Cast
Chg 1
Coast
+1
Cost
Lost
-1
Chg 1
Last
Least
Chg 1
+1
Clue
The upright pole on a
sailboat.
A covering for the face;
used as a disguise.
A barrel-shaped vessel used
for holding liquids.
What a doctor puts on a
fractured arm or leg.
The land near the shore; or
near where the ocean
touches the land.
The price of something.
Something that cannot be
found.
Opposite of first.
Opposite of most.
Hair to Cut
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Hair
Chair
+1
Char
-1
Chart
+1
Charm
Chg 1
Harm
Arm
-1
-1
Ram
Rum
Rearrange letters
Chg 1
Rut
Chg 1
Cut
Chg 1
Clue
A piece of furniture on
which a person sits.
Scorch; to burn something
slightly.
A map; or a figure that
displays information as a
table or graph.
A small ornament worn on
a bracelet or chain.
To injure or cause a hurt.
A body appendage that is
attached to the shoulder.
A male sheep.
An alcoholic beverage
made in the Caribbean area.
A depression in the ground
caused by the continuous
passage of a wheel. To do
the same thing over and
over again.
What is done to a person’s
hair when it gets too long.
Door to Window
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Door
Floor
- 1, + 2
Flop
- 2, + 1
Lop
Lip
-1
Chg 1
Lit
Chg 1
Wit
Chg 1
Win
Wind
Chg 1
+1
Window
+2
Clue
The lower inside surface of
a room.
To throw oneself in a
clumsy manner. Or, to fail
completely.
To cut off.
The rim or edge of
something. What surrounds
the mouth.
To have set something on
fire.
Another word for
intelligence or humor.
To be victorious.
To rotate or revolve
something. “The toy car
will not move unless you
wind it up.”
Besides a door another
opening on a house or
building.
Pint to Quart
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Pint
Paint
+1
Pant
Chant
-1
- 1, + 2
Chart
Chg 1
Cart
-1
Tart
Chg 1
Part
Chg 1
Art
-1
Quart
+2
Clue
A liquid containing color
used for coloring walls and
other things.
To breathe heavily.
To recite in a monotonous
and repetitive tone.
A map or a visual display of
information in the form of a
table or graph.
A wheeled vehicle for
transporting things.
A small pie containing jelly,
custard, or fruit. Or a sharp
taste.
To leave another person’s
company. “I hate to part
from my friends.” Or, a
portion of something.
An occupation requiring
knowledge or skill.
“Cooking is an art.”
A measure of volume. Two
pints; 32 ounces.
Hotel to Sleep
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Hotel
Hot
Hat
Hate
Haste
Host
-1
Chg 1
+1
+1
Chg 1, -1
Shot
Rearrange letters
Shoot
Sheet
+1
Chg 2
Sleep
Chg 1
Clue
Very warm
Covering for the head.
Opposite of love.
A hurry.
A person who entertains
guests; one who throws a
party.
A particular kind of object,
not a bullet, that one shoots
through a gun...
What is done with a gun.
Covering for a bed. A long
flat piece of something.
What is done at a hotel at
night.
Flower to Pot
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Flower
Flow
-2
Slow
Show
Chg 1
Chg 1
Shower
Shopper
Shop
Stop
Top
+2
- 1, + 2
-3
Chg 1
-1
Pot
Rearrange letters.
Clue
Another word for the
movement of rivers.
Not fast.
To display something for
others to see.
A light but steady rain.
One who buys things.
A store or place of work.
To come to a halt.
The uppermost part of
something.
What flowers are often kept
in.
Bird to Chirp
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Bird
Bid
-1
Bed
Chg 1
Shed
- 1, + 2
Sled
Chg 1
Slid
Chg 1
Ship
Hip
Chg 1
-1
Chip
Chirp
+1
+1
Clue
To make an offer for
something.
A piece of furniture for
sleeping.
A small building used to
store things.
A vehicle with runners that
moves on snow and ice.
To have moved through
sliding. To slip.
A large boat.
A part of the body to which
legs are attached.
A small piece of wood.
A sound made by birds.
Shade to Tree
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Shade
Shape
Shame
Chg 1
Chg 1
Same
-1
Sam
Sap
-1
Chg 1
Sip
Seep
Chg 1
- 1, + 2
See
Tee
-1
Chg 1
Tree
+1
Clue
The form of an object.
A painful feeling caused by
having done something
wrong or poorly.
To be alike something else
in all ways.
Nickname for Samuel.
A liquid that comes from
trees.
To drink in small amounts.
To pass slowly through
small openings in
something. “The flood
water seeped into our house
overnight.”
To view.
A small peg on which a ball
is placed.
What often provides shade
outdoors.
School to Student
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
School
Cool
Coal
-2
Chg 1
Coat
Chg 1
Cat
Cant
Cent
Gent
Dent
-1
+1
Chg 1
Chg 1
Chg 1
Student
+3
Clue
Slightly warmer than cold.
A black rock that can be
burned to make heat.
An outer covering of
clothes.
A feline pet.
A contraction for cannot.
A penny.
Short for gentleman.
An indentation or
depression put into
something.
The name of the person
who goes to school
Boat to Plane
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Boat
Float
Moat
- 1, + 2
- 2, + 1
Mat
-1
Pat
Pan
Chg 1
Chg 1
Plan
+1
Plank
+1
Plant
Chg 1
Plane
Chg 1
Clue
To be suspended on water.
A deep wide trench filled
with water and surrounding
a castle.
A piece of material placed
at a door and used for
wiping feet.
To tap or strike softly.
A kitchen utensil used for
cooking.
A proposed way of doing
something. “I have a plan
for what we should do
today.”
A heavy and thick wooden
board.
A living thing that is not an
animal, such as a tree or
bush.
A boat moves through
water. This moves through
the air.
Fried to Baked
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Fried
Freed
Chg 1
Feed
Fed
-1
-1
Bed
Chg 1
Bad
Bar
Chg 1
Chg 1
Bark
Bard
Bare
Baked
+1
Chg 1
Chg 1
- 1, + 2
Clue
A way to heat food.
What was done to the slaves
after the Civil War.
Food for an animal.
To have been given food to
eat.
A piece of furniture on
which one sleeps.
Opposite of good.
To keep others from
passing. “The guard tried to
bar us from entering the
building.”
Sound made by a dog.
A poet.
Without covering. Naked.
Another way to heat food.
Base to Ball
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Base
Bass
Chg 1
Mass
Miss
Chg 1
Chg 1
Mist
Mast
Chg 1
Chg 1
Malt
Chg 1
Mall
Chg 1
Small
Ball
+1
- 2, + 1
Clue
The foundation of
something.
A kind of fish. Or the
lowest or deepest voice.
A large group of something.
To fail to hit. Or a young
unmarried woman.
A light rain.
A long upright pole in the
middle of a sailboat.
Grain that is softened by
placing in water. Used in
many beverages including
malted milk.
An enclosed shopping
center.
Opposite of large.
With the first word, it is the
name of America’s pastime
or game.
Candy to Cane
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Candy
Can
-2
Cat
Chg 1
Sat
Chg 1
Sam
Seem
Chg 1
- 1, + 2
Seam
Chg 1
Seat
Sweat
Sweet
Chg 1
+1
Chg 1
Clue
A container for holding
food and other substances.
A pet feline, related to lions
and tigers.
To have been seated in a
chair.
Nickname for Samuel.
To appear to be. “I seem to
be feeling a bit sick today.”
The place where two pieces
of cloth are joined.
A chair.
Perspiration.
The flavor of candy.
Start to Finish
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Start
Tart
-1
Cart
Chg 1
Cast
Chg 1
Cash
Chg 1
Wash
Wish
Dish
Fish
Chg 1
Chg 1
Chg 1
Chg 1
Finish
+2
Clue
A pastry with jelly or fruit
in the middle.
A vehicle for transporting
objects.
What a doctor puts on a
fractured bone in the arm or
leg.
Money in the form of bills
and coins.
To clean with water.
A desire or want.
A plate used for eating.
A creature that lives in
water.
Opposite of start
Fire to Candle
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Fire
Tire
Chg 1
Tile
Chg 1
Pile
Chg 1
Pill
Chg 1
Hill
Chg 1
Hall
Hand
Chg 1
Chg 2
Handle
+2
Candle
Chg 1
Clue
A rubber and round
instrument used on a car.
A thin flat slab of baked
clay.
A heap or small hill of
items.
A tablet used to contain
medicine.
An elevation of the land. A
small mountain.
A corridor in a house.
A body part attached to the
arm.
Something made to be
gripped by the hand.
A wax object meant to give
light by being set on fire.
Black to White
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Black
Block
Clock
Chg 1
Chg 1
Lock
-1
Look
Loot
Chg 1
Chg 1
Lot
Hot
Hit
White
-1
Chg 1
Chg 1
+ 2, one at beginning and
one at end of previous
word.
Clue
A solid mass of stone.
An instrument used for
telling time.
A device used to fasten
something and prevent
others from opening it.
To see or view.
To steal something; to rob
or pillage.
Plenty of something.
Very warm.
To strike
Opposite of black.
Salt to Pepper
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Salt
Sat
Hat
Hot
Shot
Shop
-1
Chg 1
Chg 1
+1
Chg 1
Hop
Pop
Popper
Pepper
-1
Chg 1
+3
Chg 1
Clue
To have been seated.
A covering for the head.
Opposite of cold.
A discharge from a gun.
A place to buy things. The
act of buying things.
To move by short jumps.
Another name for soda.
A utensil for popping corn.
A black spice or seasoning
used with salt on food.
Hug to Kiss
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Hug
Hog
Hoe
Chg 1
Chg 1
Shoe
+1
Show
Chg 1
Slow
Low
Lot
Lit
Kit
Chg 1
-1
Chg 1
Chg 1
Chg 1
Kite
+1
Kiss
Chg 2
Clue
A kind of swine or pig.
A rake-like instrument used
for tilling soil and chopping
weeds.
Something worn on the foot
and used for walking.
To present something to be
seen by others.
Opposite of fast.
Not high.
Plenty of something.
To have lighted something.
A collection of tools,
supplies or other objects for
a purpose.
A contraption that flies in
the wind. It is often made
up of wood, paper, string,
and a cloth tail.
Something that is often
given with a kiss.
Horse to Pony
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Horse
Hoe
-2
Hop
Hope
Chg 1
+1
Cope
Chg 1
Cone
Chg 1
Bone
Chg 1
Bond
Chg 1
Pond
Chg 1
Pony
Chg 1
Clue
A rake-like instrument used
for tilling the soil or
chopping weeds.
To move by jumping
To expect or believe that
something will happen.
To be able to deal with
difficulties successfully.
What ice cream is often
served in.
Our skeleton is made of
many of these.
To make something stick
together.
A small lake or other body
of water.
A small horse.
Present to Gift
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Present
Sent
-3
Lent
Chg 1
Bent
Beat
Bet
Chg 1
Chg 1
-1
Bit
Chg 1
Lit
Chg 1
Lift
Gift
+1
Chg 1
Clue
To have ordered someone to
go.
A period of six weeks
before Easter.
Twisted or dented.
To defeat another; to win.
A wager or guess that one
thing will happen.
To have gripped with your
teeth.
To have caught on fire.
“The scoutmaster just lit the
campfire.”
To raise up.
Another name for a present.
Walk to Run
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Walk
Talk
Stalk
Chg 1
+1
Stall
Chg 1
Tall
Tell
Ten
Tent
-1
Chg 1
- 2, + 1
+1
Rent
Chg 1
Runt
Run
Chg 1
-1
Clue
To speak
To follow in a stealthy or
concealed way.
To put off. Or the place
where horses live in a barn.
Opposite of short.
To say.
The number after nine.
A kind of shelter made from
canvas cloth or nylon.
Payment for use of someone
else’s property.
An undersized animal.
To walk in a fast way.
Swim to Pool
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Swim
Swam
Chg 1
Swan
Chg 1
Wand
Wind
Win
- 1, + 1
Chg 1
-1
Will
- 1, + 2
Wild
Chg 1
Wood
- 2, + 2
Wool
Chg 1
Pool
Chg 1
Clue
To have moved oneself
through water.
A large white bird with a
graceful and curving neck.
A stick used by magicians.
The blowing air.
To succeed or defeat one’s
opponents in a game.
The desire to accomplish
something. “I have the will
to get an ‘A’ in math.”
Opposite of tame. Living in
a natural state.
A substance that comes
from trees.
A fabric or yarn that is
made from the fleece or
coats of sheep.
A place to swim. A body of
water or other liquid.
Shoe to Boot
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Shoe
Shop
Shot
Shock
Sock
Chg 1
Chg 1
- 1, + 2
-1
Dock
Chg 1
Dot
Hot
Hoot
- 2, + 1
Chg 1
+1
Boot
Chg 1
Clue
To buy things.
To have discharged a gun.
To be horrified or surprised.
A soft garment for the foot.
Or to hit.
A wooden ramp next to
which boats are parked.
A small round spot.
Very warm.
Sound made by an owl.
Or, a good time. “The party
I went to last night was a
hoot.”
A large and heavy shoe,
usually for work.
Shop to Mall
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Shop
Stop
Top
Tip
Chg 1
-1
Chg 1
Sip
Slip
Chg 1
+1
Sly
Shy
- 2, + 1
Chg 1
She
Shell
Chg 1
+2
Smell
Chg 1
Small
Mall
Chg 1
-1
Clue
Opposite of go.
Opposite of bottom.
The pointed end of
something.
To drink in small amounts.
To lose hold or slide on
something, such as ice.
Shrewd or cunning.
No outgoing.
Uncomfortable around
others with whom a person
is not familiar.
Refers to a female.
The hard outer casing or
covering of something.
An odor. Or, to inhale or
detect an odor.
Little; not big.
A place to shop.
Candy to Sweet
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Candy
Sandy
Sand
Chg 1
-1
Hand
Chg 1
Hang
Chg 1
Sang
Sag
Sat
Swat
Sweat
Sweet
Chg 1
-1
Chg 1
+1
+1
Chg 1
Clue
A place full of sand.
A grainy material found on
the beach.
A body appendage attached
to the arm.
To suspend or be supported
from above, not below.
To have sung.
To droop or hang unevenly.
To have been seat.
To hit or strike.
Perspiration.
The taste of candy.
Chop to Wood
Target Word
Letter Changes Required
Chop
Shop
Chg 1
Slop
Chg 1
Sloop
Loop
+1
-1
Coop
Chg 1
Hoop
Chg 1
Hood
Chg 1
Food
Wood
Chg 1
Chg 1
Clue
A place for working or
purchasing things.
A watery mess; waste
liquid.
A sailboat with one mast.
A rope or ribbon made into
a circular form.
A small pen for chickens
and roosters.
A circular band or ring, like
one that surround a barrel.
A covering for the head that
is often attached to the coat.
Substance that is eaten.
A substance from trees that
is chopped.
For more on Word Ladders see – Scholastic, (Tel: 800-242-7737, choose option #3)
Daily Word Ladders for Teaching phonics and vocabulary, Gr 2-3
Daily Word Ladders for Teaching phonics and vocabulary, Gr 4+
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Texts for Fluency Practice: Grades 4 and Up
Making and Writing Words, Gr 1
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