Puzzle #244 · Apr 15, 2026
Poople #244 Answer: JAVA to POOP
Poople #244 was the puzzle for Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The starting word was JAVA, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 7 steps. We found 15 different shortest paths with our word list. Open the hints below one at a time if you want a nudge, or reveal the full ladder at the end.
Poople #244 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 1st letter of JAVA, the J.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after JAVA starts with L. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with L.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
JAVA → LAVA → LAMA → LAMP → LUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
7 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
LAMA is in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept it.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JAVA | LAVA | 1st letter J to L |
| 2 | LAVA | LAMA | 3rd letter V to M |
| 3 | LAMA | LAMP | 4th letter A to P |
| 4 | LAMP | LUMP | 2nd letter A to U |
| 5 | LUMP | PUMP | 1st letter L to P |
| 6 | PUMP | POMP | 2nd letter U to O |
| 7 | POMP | POOP | 3rd letter M to O |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from JAVA
Our word list allows 15 shortest ladders from JAVA to POOP, each 7 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 15 paths
- JAVA → LAVA → LAMA → LAMP → LUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAMA → LAMP → RAMP → ROMP → POMP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAMA → LAMP → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAMA → LAMP → CAMP → COMP → POMP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAMA → LAMP → LIMP → PIMP → POMP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAVS → LABS → LOBS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAVS → LAGS → LOGS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAVS → LAPS → LOPS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAVS → LASS → LOSS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAVS → LAWS → LOWS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAMA → LIMA → LIMP → PIMP → POMP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAVS → LATS → LOTS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAMA → LAMS → PAMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAMA → LIMA → PIMA → PIMP → POMP → POOP
- JAVA → LAVA → LAVS → LAMS → PAMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
Words one letter away from JAVA
These 3 words differ from JAVA in one letter. Common words are in SCOWL size 35; rare words are only in the ENABLE list, and the official game is more likely to reject them.
- FAVA rare
- KAVA rare
- LAVA common
How hard was Poople #244?
By our count it rates Expert: fewest 7 steps. That makes #244 harder than 93% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #243 SWAY (Apr 14, 2026)
- Next: #245 VOID (Apr 16, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #189 ARMY, #197 OWNS, #232 LEVY
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #244?
Poople #244 takes 7 steps. We count the fewest steps from JAVA to POOP with a breadth-first search over our four-letter word list (ENABLE + SCOWL), and the official game uses its own word list, so its count can differ from ours.
What was the starting word for Poople #244?
The starting word for Poople #244 was JAVA, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Every Poople puzzle ends at POOP, so the start word is the only thing that changes from day to day. With our word list this one rates Expert. Hints for it are at the top of this page.
Can I replay Poople #244?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with JAVA as the start word, with Undo, Restart and three levels of hints. You can also play unlimited random puzzles on the home page, or pick any other past puzzle from the archive.