What is Morphl?
Morphl is a free daily word-ladder puzzle played online. You get a starting word and a target word of the same length, then change one letter at a time. Every word in between must be a valid dictionary word. Each puzzle has a par: the number of steps you are expected to take.
How to play
Begin with the starting word and look at the target. Change exactly one letter on each turn, making sure the result is a valid word. Keep going until you reach the target, then compare your number of steps with the puzzle’s par. Your result is rated as a birdie, eagle, par, or bogey.
Each puzzle has a par, or target step count. Finishing in fewer moves earns a birdie; finishing two or more moves under par earns an eagle. Matching par is par, while exceeding it is a bogey. The par is set slightly above the shortest possible chain, leaving room to solve it more efficiently. Completing the daily puzzle adds one day to your streak.
Modes
The daily puzzle is a one-letter-at-a-time word ladder with a par and streak tracking.
The site also offers Bridge, Tour, Open, Web, Hot & Cold, Ladderdle, Links, Cladder, and two real-time arcade modes: Wordfall and Versus.
Tips & strategy
Aim to reach the target in fewer steps than the par to score a birdie or better. Every intermediate step must be a real word, so check each change before committing it. The one-letter-at-a-time ladder format challenges you to find shortest or smart routes, and the par-based scoring gives immediate, golf-like feedback.