Ducklark Games / Stepword ladders / Ladder #4
Stepword #4: Jump in a LEAF PILE
Ladder #4 of Stepword came out on a Friday. Its story line, “Jump in a LEAF PILE”, sent players up a 4-letter ladder that starts at LEAF and finishes at PILE.
#4 in numbers and letters
- Date: Friday, October 9, 2026
- Start word: LEAF
- Goal word: PILE
- Par: 6 steps
- Word length: 4 letters
Counting the steps in ladder #4
With 4 different places you might expect a short climb, yet par is 6. That leaves 2 steps that have to go sideways before the ladder can reach PILE.
No letter sits in the same place in both words, so every position has to change at some point on the way. The letters L and E turn up in both words as well, in different places. Vowels: 2 in the start word, 2 in the goal. Only one par ladder exists in the game’s word list, so there is a single perfect route.
- Letter 1: L to P
- Letter 2: E to I
- Letter 3: A to L
- Letter 4: F to E
Friday’s ladder #4 in context
It was a weekday ladder, so the words have four letters. 3 of the 18 ladders so far have had a par of 6.
Play ladder #4
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Next to #4
- Stepword #3: CHOP the MEAT (Oct 8), CHOP to MEAT, par 5
- Stepword #5: Clap HANDS over HEADS (Oct 10), HEADS to HANDS, par 4
Every past ladder is listed on the Stepword ladders page. The rules, par and hints are in How to play Stepword. Quizzes and crosswords live on the topics hub.