Words are nodes, one-letter edits are edges, and the shortest ladder is a shortest path in an unweighted graph, so BFS. The make-or-break detail is generating neighbors in O(26 * L) without scanning the whole dictionary. Here is the pattern.
Updated Aug 2026 · Grounded in real Applied AI Engineer interview loops and written to a senior-engineer editorial bar.
Words are nodes, one-letter edits are edges, and the shortest ladder is a shortest path in an unweighted graph, so BFS. The make-or-break detail is generating neighbors in O(26 * L) without scanning the whole dictionary. Here is the pattern.
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