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Now that the word LEAD was turned into GOLD in only three steps (kudos n_palum) can you turn the word LEAD into IRON changing one letter at a time creating new legit 4 letter words (from Dictionary) in 5 steps or less? Again I am sure there are more than a few answers. And can you do it without using a Proper Noun or name? ( I could not).

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    $\begingroup$ PB - PI - IE - FE done! $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 22, 2017 at 19:12
  • $\begingroup$ Four letter words Alex $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 22, 2017 at 20:50
  • $\begingroup$ Has a correct answer been given? If so, please don't forget to $\color{green}{\checkmark \small\text{Accept}}$ it :) $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 10, 2017 at 16:49

4 Answers 4

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If you want to use proper nouns, you could:

LEAD
LEAN
LEON
IEON
IRON

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  • $\begingroup$ IEON if that is indeed there then 4 steps are possible. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 15:37
  • $\begingroup$ According to the internet, it is a spelling of the name that has shown up a fair number of times throughout history. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 16:25
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The best I can do:

LEAD
LEAN
BEAN
BRAN
IRAN
IRON

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  • $\begingroup$ I am waiting for someone to do it either 4 steps or without IRAN. We will see $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 18, 2017 at 23:24
  • $\begingroup$ @DeepakMahulikar It is impossible in 4 steps. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 3:44
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Starting with this list of 4 letter words

I've found the following three words that are one away from IRON,

icon
ikon
tron

Unfortunately, the first one only leads back to iron or the 2nd word.

The best I've figured using the 2nd word has 7 steps, and uses some uncommon words.

lead
leat
seat
skat
ikat
ikan
ikon
iron

However, using the 3rd word, I've found the following 5 steps, which appears to be optimal.

lead
tead
trad
trod
tron
iron

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  • $\begingroup$ I was thinking about 'tron' but online it said it's debatable whether tron is a word... $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 1:07
  • $\begingroup$ That's why I included links to the definitions for all of the words. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 1:09
  • $\begingroup$ Looks like in your third block, you're changing two letters between the 4th and 5th words. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 4:52
  • $\begingroup$ @TannerSwett good catch, I changed it to my other list, using less common words. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 5:05
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The most optimal solution that I have been able to find is this:

LEAD -> TEAD -> TRAD -> TROD -> TRON -> IRON

5 steps is the minimal you can do due to the disparity in the letters. Lead is not as close to iron as it is to gold. I think words like Tron or Trad are debatable as to whether or not they constitute as a word. In scrabble they would count but in dictionary means it's up in the air.

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  • $\begingroup$ That's one of the possibilities I had as well, but I went with more common words. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 3:53
  • $\begingroup$ @HerbWolfe If he wants the optimal solution as his answer, that would be it, there's no lower step possibility, it's just less common as you said $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 4:00

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