DucklarkDucklark Games / Stepword ladders / Ladder #21
Stepword #21: READ it out LOUD
Ladder #21 of Stepword came out on a Monday. Its story line, “READ it out LOUD”, sent players up a 4-letter ladder that starts at READ and finishes at LOUD.
The facts for #21
- Date: Monday, October 26, 2026
- Start word: READ
- Goal word: LOUD
- Par: 3 steps
- Word length: 4 letters
Counting the steps in ladder #21
Count the places where READ and LOUD disagree and you get 3; par is 3. The two numbers agree, which means a perfect ladder never wastes a step.
The fourth letter is the same in both words (D), so that spot never has to move. READ has 2 vowels and LOUD has 2 vowels. The game’s list has 2 different ways to climb in par.
- Letter 1: R to L
- Letter 2: E to O
- Letter 3: A to U
- Letter 4: D to D (already there)
How #21 compares
2 of the 23 ladders so far have had a par of 3, counting this one.
Play ladder #21
Yes. It is one of the last seven days, which Stepword keeps open. Use this link to climb #21 or find the day on the calendar. Nothing you do on a replay counts toward your streak.
The par ladder is yours to find.
The days around ladder #21
- Stepword #20: Follow BIRDS to the RIVER (Oct 25), BIRDS to RIVER, par 6
- Stepword #22: WASH the PANS (Oct 27), WASH to PANS, par 4
More days: all Stepword ladders. New here? Start with the guide. Other daily games are on the topics page.