Creating word ladders out of US state names

Francis, Darryl

English

Digital Commons @ Butler University

STATENAME LADDERS   Darryl Francis Brampton, Cumbria, England darryl.francis@yahoo.co.uk    Word ladders have featured many times in the past in Word Ways, where a word is changed into a related word one letter at a time. A simple example is to turn LEAD into GOLD – thus, LEAD-LOAD-GOAD-GOLD. Another easy example is COLD-CORD-CARD-WARD-WARM.  More difficult ladders between connected words can be achieved by changing one letter at a time and then transposing the resulting letters. Each step on such a word ladder is effectively a substitute-letter transposal. Here’s how to go from RIGHT to WRONG: RIGHT-GRIOT-GROIN-WRONG. And here’s how PILGRIM and FATHERS can be connected: PILGRIM-IMPERIL-LIMITER-MALTIER-ARMLETS-FALTERS-FATHERS.   It occurred to me that it would be interesting to determine if a set of word ladders could be constructed connecting US statenames of the same length. There are three 4-letter statenames (Iowa, Ohio and Utah), which means there are three potential ladders: Iowa-Ohio, Iowa-Utah, and Ohio-Utah. Similarly, there are three 5-letter statenames (Idaho, Maine and Texas), again leading to three potential ladders. And so on up to statenames with 13 letters. All told, there are 139 different potential ladders connecting statenames of the same length. Below are examples for 133 of these ladders. In the table below, for each of the 133 ladders, I show the number of words in the shortest theoretically possible ladder, the number of words in the actual ladder I have offered, and the potential reduction in the number of steps between the shortest theoretically possible ladder and the actual ladder presented. I’m sure there is plenty of scope for reducing the length of many of the chains. Any reductions that readers can find would be welcomed by the editors.  A word about the six ladders I haven’t been able to build. Four of the six nonexistent ladders involve MISSISSIPPI at one end or the other. There just doesn’t seem to be any way to change a letter of MISSISSIPPI to get a ladder started or finished. And the other two nonexistent ladders involve MASSACHUSETTS. While there is a trans-substitution of MASSACHUSETTS (to SETSUMATSUSHA), there doesn’t seem to be a further trans-substitution allowing progress further along the ladder. If anyone can overcome these problems, please let us know via the editors.  Words in shortest possible ladder Words in actual ladder Possible reduction in steps  4-letter states: Iowa, Ohio, Utah 3 3 0 Iowa ohia Ohio    4 4 0 Iowa ohia huia Utah   4 4 0 Ohio ohia huia Utah   5-letter states: Idaho, Maine, Texas 4 4 0 Idaho danio amino Maine   5 6 1 Idaho dhoti hoist oaths heats Texas 4 4 0 Maine names steam Texas   6-letter states: Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, Nevada, Oregon 5 6 1 Alaska kahals halals wallah Halawi Hawaii 3 3 0 Alaska laksas Kansas    5 6 1 Alaska akelas ankles knaves davens Nevada 7 8 1 Alaska akelas ankles knarls krangs organs     orange Oregon    5 6 1 Hawaii Halawi halwas Khalsa laksas Kansas 5 7 2 Hawaii Halawi dahlia Adelia nailed idaean      Nevada     7 9 2 Hawaii Halawi awhile hameil mailer morale     gaoler orange Oregon   4 7 3 Kansas laksas Akelas ankles knaves davens     Nevada     6 6 0 Kansas kangas krangs organs orange Oregon 5 5 0 Nevada agenda danger orange Oregon  7-letter states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Montana, New York, Vermont, Wyoming 6 6 0 Alabama malabar malaria laminar mazarin Arizona 6 6 0 Alabama malabar malaria mariola aliform Florida 7 7 0 Alabama malabar bimalar Laramie regalia argoile     Georgia     6 6 0 Alabama lambada Lambadi baladin idalian Indiana 5 5 0 Alabama tambala matalan Matalon Montana  8 9 1 Alabama tamable lambert brantle latoner elytron     styrone yonkers New York   7 7 0 Alabama tambala tamable lambent lomenta montera     Vermont     7 9 2 Alabama tambala ambital bimanal blaming mangily     yawling yowling Wyoming   4 4 0 Arizona Adriano ordinal Florida   4 4 0 Arizona Argonia origane Georgia   4 4 0 Arizona Adriano diarian Indiana   4 5 1 Arizona Adriano mandora amorant Montana  5 6 1 Arizona Adriano aneroid downier wonkier New York 5 5 0 Arizona romania moraine montera Vermont  5 8 3 Arizona romania angioma loaming mangily yawling     yowling Wyoming    4 4 0 Florida dariole Loegria Georgia   5 5 0 Florida ordinal laniard diarian Indiana  6 6 0 Florida dilator Rotalia ailanto amation Montana 6 7 1 Florida ordinal aileron loaners Koreans yonkers     New York     6 6 0 Florida dilator leotard levator venator Vermont 6 6 0 Florida ordinal adoring roaming worming Wyoming 6 6 0 Georgia origane Argonia Arioian diarian Indiana 6 6 0 Georgia origane moraine montera amorant Montana 5 5 0 Georgia origane wagoner awroken New York  5 5 0 Georgia origane moraine montera Vermont  5 5 0 Georgia origane roaming worming Wyoming  4 4 0 Indiana Adonian Antonia Montana   7 7 0 Indiana diarian araneid aneroid downier wonkier     New York     7 7 0 Indiana diarian araneid aneroid moraine montera     Vermont     6 7 1 Indiana Odinian gonidia adoring roaming worming     Wyoming     6 6 0 Montana montane montera trowmen network New York 4 4 0 Montana montane montera Vermont   5 6 1 Montana amation moating roaming worming Wyoming 4 6 2 New York workmen moniker invoker Trevino Vermont 4 8 4 New York yonkers groynes signory yorking working     worming Wyoming    5 5 0 Vermont morient emoting meowing Wyoming  8-letter states: Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Virginia 7 8 1 Arkansas sardanas sandarac Calandra cardanol cartload     doctoral Colorado    6 6 0 Arkansas sardanas Saarland  adrenals Alanreed Delaware 7 7 0 Arkansas Alaskans sisalana Saillans Allisons allision     Illinois     7 8 1 Arkansas ransacks snackers crankest cronkest unsocket     Kentucks Kentucky    5 5 0 Arkansas sardanas mansards Marsland Maryland  7 7 0 Arkansas ransacks Sarnacki rackings chagrins chairing     Michigan     6 6 0 Arkansas samskara karaisms komissar ossarium Missouri 3 5 2 Arkansas Arkansaw swanmark Markesan Nebraska  6 6 0 Arkansas Alaskans Onalaska oolakans Koolhaas Oklahoma 6 7 1 Arkansas sardanas Sardians Sardinia aniridia viridian     Virginia     6 6 0 Colorado doctoral cartload Calodera acredale Delaware 7 8 1 Colorado doctoral toroidal dilators ordinals sinoidal     allision Illinois    8 9 1 Colorado doctoral locators crotales ancestor counters     unsocket Kentucks Kentucky   5 6 1 Colorado doctoral cartload cardanol mandorla Maryland 7 8 1 Colorado doctoral crotalid cilantro locating latching     matching Michigan    7 8 1 Colorado doctoral crotalid calorist acrotism amorists     ossarium Missouri    7 8 1 Colorado doctoral ostracod redcoats ancestor baronets     ratsbane Nebraska    5 10 5 Colorado doctoral toroidal modiolar homaloid halidoms     mochilas chloasma masoolah Oklahoma  7 8 1 Colorado doctoral crotalid cilantro caroling original     virginal Virginia    8 8 0 Delaware airedale reallied arillode arilloid Rollinia     allision Illinois    8 9 1 Delaware Alanreed adrenals launders neutrals centaurs     strucken Kentucks Kentucky   4 4 0 Delaware Alanreed alderman Maryland   8 8 0 Delaware airedale remedial remained dreaming creaming     charming Michigan    8 10 2 Delaware awardees seawards madrases misreads dismaler     moralise solarium ossarium Missouri  5 6 1 Delaware awardees seabeard seerband Redbanks Nebraska 6 10 4 Delaware acredale declares decrials decimals camisole     mochilas chloasma masoolah Oklahoma  7 7 0 Delaware laagered enlarged dragline gainlier virginal     Virginia     8 9 1 Illinois allision stallion toenails aconites conkiest      unsocket Kentucks Kentucky   7 7 0 Illinois allision simonial orinasal manorial mandorla     Maryland     6 6 0 Illinois allision simonial mailings claiming Michigan 5 6 1 Illinois illusion Limousin lionisms similors Missouri 7 7 0 Illinois allision lesional ailerons baronies bearskin     Nebraska     7 8 1 Illinois allision scallion laconism mochilas chloasma     masoolah Oklahoma    6 7 1 Illinois allision simonial mailings railings virginal     Virginia     7 10 3 Kentucky Kentucks unsocket counters ancestor monstera     ransomed mandoras mandorla Maryland  8 9 1 Kentucky Kentucks unsocket counties scouting coasting     coamings chimango Michigan   8 8 0 Kentucky Kentucks unsocket counters outcries moisture     tourisms Missouri    7 7 0 Kentucky Kentucks unsocket cronkest Ackerson brackens     Nebraska     8 10 2 Kentucky Kentucks unsocket noctules osculate eschalot     calathos chloasma masoolah Oklahoma  8 10 2 Kentucky Kentucks unsocket counters routines genitors      angriest  averting vinaigre Virginia  6 7 1 Maryland dairyman mridanga admiring maidling claiming     Michigan     7 7 0 Maryland mandorla manorial roumania mainours ossarium     Missouri     5 5 0 Maryland malander adrenals larnakes Nebraska  5 7 2 Maryland mandorla mandolas Asolando oolakans Koolhaas     Oklahoma     6 6 0 Maryland Grayland daringly drailing virginal Virginia 6 8 2 Michigan chimango coamings isogamic logicism sciolism     similors Missouri    7 7 0 Michigan marching crashing creasing bearings bearskin     Nebraska     6 7 1 Michigan mishnaic shamanic chamisal chloasma masoolah     Oklahoma     4 5 1 Michigan claiming caviling virginal Virginia  7 7 0 Missouri ossarium biramous ambrosin baronies bearskin     Nebraska     7 7 0 Missouri ossarium mosasaur amorosas massoola masoolah     Oklahoma     6 9 3 Missouri tourisms amorists agistors organist rigatoni     trailing virginal Virginia   7 8 1 Nebraska Markesan shareman marchesa marschal chloasma     masoolah Oklahoma    6 6 0 Nebraska bearskin bearings vinegars vinaigre Virginia 8 11 3 Oklahoma masoolah chloasma chamisal shamanic mishnaic     gaminish graminis migraine vinaigre Virginia  9-letter states: Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, Wisconsin 5 6 1 Louisiana Galoisian magnolias atonalism anatomies     Minnesota    8 13 5 Louisiana Galoisian isolating glutinosa pulsation     poulaines phaseolin anopheles Halesowen     nosewheel nose-jewel Jo Sweeney New Jersey 8 10 2 Louisiana lacinious sulcation coastline encomiast     centesimo economies economize Niemczewo     New Mexico    8 15 7 Louisiana Lusitania lusatians insulates essential     arsenites arseniate estuarian saturnine     uneastern unwestern unsweeten unevenest     seventeen Tennessee   5 8 3 Louisiana Aitolians satiation situation sinuation     nicotians socinians Wisconsin  7 9 2 Minnesota tensional hailstone anetholes      Halesowen nosewheel nose-jewel Jo Sweeney     New Jersey    5 6 1 Minnesota encomiast emication Ecionemia Ciemniewo     New Mexico    5 6 1 Minnesota cantonise tenancies sentience sentences     Tennessee    5 5 0 Minnesota sensation sanctions socinians Wisconsin 6 12 6 New Jersey Jo Sweeney nose-jewel nosewheel whensoe'er     overweens Reedson, WV ironweeds Serwoniec     Czerniewo Niemczewo New Mexico  5 8 3 New Jersey Jo Sweeney Joy Senese eyestones yestreens     terseness tenseness Tennessee  7 12 5 New Jersey Jo Sweeney nose-jewel nosewheel wholeness     wenchless chewiness Schwieson Sosnowiec     cooniness incession Wisconsin  7 12 5 New Mexico Niemczewo economize economies centesimo     monetizes sonnetize sonnetise inertness     sternness tenseness Tennessee  5 8 3 New Mexico Ciemniewo Mianowice Amnicon, WI insomniac     inactions socinians Wisconsin  6 8 2 Tennessee tenseness sternness inertness sonnetise     conessine incession Wisconsin  10-letter states: California, Washington 7 9 2 California fractional falcations agnostical glasnostic     agonistics incognitas nowcasting Washington 11-letter states: Connecticut, Mississippi, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota 12   Connecticut    Mississippi 8 11 3 Connecticut noctilucent  noctilucine nautilicone reclination     interaction contorniate entocarotid dehortation     adhortation North Dakota   8 10 2 Connecticut noctilucent  noctilucine nautilicone declination     directional chlorinated achondrites disanchored     Rhode Island    12 14 2 Connecticut noctilucent  noctilucine nautilicone reclination     interaction contorniate entocarotid dehortation     adhortation North Dakota Andrakottos Natsuko Toda     South Dakota    12   Mississippi    North Dakota 10   Mississippi    Rhode Island 11   Mississippi    South Dakota 7 9 2 North Dakota adhortation dehortation orthodiaene lionhearted     chlorinated achondrites disanchored Rhode Island 3 4 1 North Dakota Andrakottos Natsuko Toda South Dakota  8 12 4 Rhode Island disanchored achondrites chlorinated lionhearted     orthodiaene dehortation adhortation North Dakota     Andrakottos Natsuko Toda South Dakota  12-letter states: New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, West Virginia 7 10 3 New Hampshire Prince Mahesh Marchenspiel Charles Maine aldermancies     encarnalised Carney Island Canvey Island pensylvanica     Pennsylvania    6 12 6 New Hampshire Prince Mahesh Marchenspiel Charles Maine aldermancies     encarnalised Centre Island internalised eternalising     trianglewise Living Waters West Virginia  7 10 3 Pennsylvania Pensylvania's vena spinalis palestinians internasalis     sanitariness Nissan Verita Saint-Gervais East Virginia     West Virginia    13-letter states: Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina 10   Massachusetts    North Carolina 7   Massachusetts    South Carolina 3 3 0 North Carolina Carrauntoohil South Carolina             154 = the potential reduction in the total number of steps!  Sources for all the words and names above are summarised in the table below:  Collins English Dictionary (2018) amorant; amorosas; baladin; cantonise; chewiness; conkiest; Halesowen; laksas; masoolah; nosewheel; Saarland; snackers; sonnetise; Trevino; whensoe'er; wonkier Collins Official Scrabble Words (2019) cronkest; encarnalised; eternalising; internalised; lomenta Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 28th edition internasalis - see 'sutura internasalis' en.wiktionary.org East Virginia encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com Andrakottos Facebook Jo Sweeney; Schwieson Oxford English Dictionary acredale- hyphenated, except solid in 1831 quote; Aitolians - see 'Aetolian'; amation; argoile - see 'argol'; awroken - see 'awreak'; glasnostic; halwas - see 'halva'; komissar - see 'commissar'; lambada;  malander - see 'mallender'; marschal - see 'marshal'; moralise - see 'moralize'; morient; nose-jewel;  nowcasting; Pensylvania's - see 'butcherbird', 1792 quote - possessive or plural form; pensylvanica - see 'yellow jacket', 1939 quote; reallied – see ‘re-ally’, 1596 quote; sanitariness; Sardinia - see 'sardine' Ordnance Survey Gazetteer of Great Britain, 3rd edition Canvey Island Times Index Gazetteer of the World Ackerson; Alanreed; Amnicon, WI; Argonia; Arkansaw; Centre Island; Grayland; Markesan; Marsland;  Onalaska; Saillans; Saint Gervais Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second edition acrotism; adhortation; Adonian; agonistics; aldermancies; ambital; amorists; Antonia; Arioian; arseniate; bimalar; brantle; chimango; diarian; emication; entocarotid; estuarian; eyestones; falcations; Galoisian; gaminish; gaoler; Halawi; homaloid; kangas; lacinious; Lambadi; Laramie;  latoner; lesional; Loegria; Lusitania; maidling; massoola; matalan; Odinian; oolakans; orthodiaene; ossarium; seerband; similors; simonial; sinoidal; stricken; styrene; sulcation; trianglewise; venator; vinaigre; wenchless Webster’s Third New International Dictionary achondrites; aconites; Adelia; admiring; adoring; adrenals; agenda; agistors; agnostical; ailanto; aileron; ailerons; Airedale; Akelas; Alaskans; alderman; aliform; allusion; ambrosin; amino; anatomies; ancestor; aneroid; anetholes; angioma; angriest; aniridia; ankles; anopheles; araneid; arillode; arilloid; armlets; arsenates; atonalism; averting; awardees; awhile; baronets; baronies; bearings; bearskin; bimanal; biramous; blaming; brackens; Calandra; calathos; calorist; camisole; card; cardanol; carolling; cartload; cavilling; centaurs; centesimo; chagrins; chairing; chamisal; charming; chloasma; chlorinated; cilantro; claiming; coamings; coasting; coastline; cold; conessine; contorniate; cord; counters; counties; crankest; crashing; creaming; creasing; crotales; crotalid; dahlia; dairyman; danger; danio; daringly; dariole; davens; decimals; declares; declination; decrials; dehortation; dhoti; dilator; dilators; directional; disanchored; dismaler; doctoral; downier; dragline; drailing; dreaming; economies; economize; elytron; emoting; encomiast; enlarged; eschalot; essential; falters; fathers; fractional; gainlier; genitors; goad; gold; gonidia; graminis (see 'radix graminis'); griot; groin; groynes; hailstone; halals; halidoms; hameil; heats; hoist; huia; idaean; idalian; illusion; imperil; inactions; incession; incognitas; inertness; insomniac; insulates; interaction; invoker; ironweeds; isogamic; isolating; kahals; karaisms; Kentucks; Khalsa; knarls; knaves; Koreans; krangs; laagered; laconism; lambent; lambert; laminar; lanyard; larnakes; latching; launders; lead; leotard; levator; limiter; Limousin; lionhearted; lionisms; load; loaming; loaners; locating; locators; logicism; lusatians; madrases; magnolias; mailer; mailings; mainours; malabar; malaria; maltier; mandolas; mandora; mandoras; mandorla; mangily; manorial; mansards; marchesa; marching; mariola; matching; mazarin; meowing; mishnaic; misreads; moating; mochilas; modiolar; moisture; monetizes; moniker; monstera; montane; montera; moraine; morale; mosasaur; mridanga; nailed; names; nautilicone; network; neutrals; nicotians; noctilucent; noctilucine; noctules; oaths; ohia; orange; ordinal; ordinals; organist; organs; origane; original; orinasal; osculate; ostracod; outcries; overweens; palestinians; phaseolin; pilgrim; poulaines; pulsation; rackings; railings; ransacks; ransomed; ratsbane; reclination; redcoats; regalia; remained; remedial; rigatoni; right; roaming; Rollinia; romania; Rotalia; roumania; routines; samskara; sanctions; sandarac; sardanas; Sardians; satiation; scallion; sciolism; scouting; seabeard; seawards; sensation; sentences; sentience; shamanic; shareman; signory; sinuation; sisalana; situation; socinians; solarium; sonnetize; stallion; steam; sternness; swanmark; tamable; tambala; tenancies; tenseness; tensional; terseness; toenails; toroidal; tourisms; trailing; trowmen; unsocket; vinegars; virginal; viridian; wagoner; wallah; ward; warm; wholeness; working; workmen; worming; wrong; yawling; yestreens; yonkers; yorking; yowling Webster’s Biographical Dictionary Adriano Wikipedia Allisons; Asolando; Calodera; Carney Island; Carrauntoohil; Charles Maine; Ciemniewo; Ecionemia; glutinosa; Joy Senese; Koolhaas; Living Waters; Matalon; Mianowice; Natsuko Toda; Niemczewo; Nissan Verita; Redbanks; Reedson WV; Sarnacki; Setsumatsusha www.amazon.com Marchenspiel  www.princemahesh.com Prince Mahesh www.vocabulary.com vena spinalis  

Statename Ladders

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Statename Ladders

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