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By changing one letter to form new words with each turn, and leaving the other three letters in their original positions, convert the word HAND into the word FOOT. I was able to do it in five steps… can you do better? Good luck!
H A N D
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
F O O T
ONEÂ SOLUTION:
HAND > BAND > BOND > FOND > FOOD > FOOT
If you come up with a different solution, please post it in the comments. Thanks!
Comments (18)
Comment
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another 5 step solution:
HAND > HIND > FIND > FOND > FOOD > FOOT
posted by Stew on 6-22-2009 at 9:01 am
HAND
WAND
WANT
WONT
FONT
FOOT
posted by J on 6-22-2009 at 9:22 am
Hand > Hard > Hart > Fart > Fort > Foot
posted by S on 6-22-2009 at 9:29 am
a nerdy, cheap version:
HAND>WAND>WANT>WONT>WOOT>FOOT
posted by Steven on 6-22-2009 at 9:42 am
HAND
HIND
FIND
FOND
FONT
FOOT
posted by Vanessa on 6-22-2009 at 10:52 am
HAND
HARD
HART
FART
FORT
FOOT
posted by Mr Punch on 6-22-2009 at 11:07 am
HAND
HANK
HONK
HOOK
HOOT
FOOT
posted by Dawn Laskowski on 6-22-2009 at 11:25 am
HAND
FAND
FOND
FONT
FOOT
posted by Reuben on 6-22-2009 at 11:28 am
HAND
BAND
BOND
FOND
FOOD
FOOT
posted by Matt on 6-22-2009 at 12:52 pm
hand
band
bond
fond
font
foot
“FAND” is not a word
posted by Don on 6-22-2009 at 2:38 pm
Fand is an ancient Irish sea goddess. There is no rule against using proper nouns. Before you go blathering, Don, you may want to check your facts so you do not look like a fool.
posted by dan on 6-22-2009 at 4:42 pm
@ dan:
I believe the standard rule for these puzzles is that only common English words are allowed. Don is quite right to point that out. Although admittedly that rule is not explicitly stated in today’s puzzle, I believe it has been stated in previous puzzles of this type.
posted by Scott on 6-22-2009 at 5:27 pm
I had the same solution as Stew.
HAND
HIND
FIND
FOND
FOOD
FOOT
posted by Nerak on 6-22-2009 at 7:23 pm
Dan, it took you 2 hours to google this only to come up with marginally correct information? Fand was a Celtic Faerie Queen, who happened to be married to a sea god…she was not a goddess in the classical, mythological sense.
While you are on google try looking up standard rules to linguistic puzzles as well as the precedent on similar types of puzzles ( pointed out by Scott ) in this forum..
Good luck to you
posted by Don on 6-22-2009 at 11:37 pm
Both Dan and Don are right. While proper names are not typically allowed in these types of puzzles, I never stated that fact anywhere in my instructions.
The point: The Brain Game is meant to be fun and challenging, and (although I detest this phrase) to allow people to think “outside the box” to come up with solutions.
I don’t want to stifle a reader’s creativity by laying down a bunch of rules. At the same time, if you prefer to stay within common unwritten rules, that’s great too. The world needs both types of people, right?
The moral: As long as you’ve solved the puzzle (1) within the given rules and (2) to your own personal satisfaction, everything’s cool.
posted by Sandy Wood on 6-23-2009 at 12:17 am
hand
hard
fard
ford
food
foot
posted by W.C. Wood on 6-23-2009 at 3:11 pm
hand
hind
find
fond
food
foot
yay!
posted by karina on 6-26-2009 at 10:47 am
was no one able to come up with a shorter one? =(
posted by karina on 6-26-2009 at 10:49 am