Poople Answer: #406 TRAY to POOP
Replay the puzzle first, then reveal one published 5-move route from TRAY to POOP.
- Par
- 5
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Level
- #406
Poople answer #406 guide
What is the Poople answer #406?
One published Poople answer #406 is a 5-move route from TRAY to POOP. Try the playable board before comparing your solution with the published route.
Spoiler protected Show Poople answer #406 Hide Poople answer #406
One letter at a time
Poople Answer Path #406 TRAY
TRAY → CRAY → CRAP → CROP → COOP → POOP
Step by step
Letter-by-letter path explanation
- TRAY → CRAY Change letter 1 from T to C.
- CRAY → CRAP Change letter 4 from Y to P.
- CRAP → CROP Change letter 3 from A to O.
- CROP → COOP Change letter 2 from R to O.
- COOP → POOP Change letter 1 from C to P.
| Published | |
|---|---|
| Start word | TRAY |
| Target word | POOP |
| Par | 5 moves |
| Published route | 5 moves |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Computed minimum | 5 moves |
| Computed minimum routes | 10 |
| Final bridge | COOP |
Route logic
Why this Poople route works
Read the published Poople #406 ladder in order: TRAY → CRAY → CRAP → CROP → COOP → POOP. TRAY → CRAY changes the first letter from T to C; later, CRAP → CROP changes the third letter from A to O. The route therefore works across the first, fourth, third and second letter positions rather than repeatedly editing one slot. Each adjacent entry remains four letters long, only one character changes per move, and POOP arrives after 5 transitions, equal to par.
A repeatable solving method is to check both ends. From the start, keep letters that open several valid next moves. From POOP, work backward to a likely final bridge, then look for a word that connects your forward and backward chains. This reduces random guesses while you test the playable board.
Solution strategy
Why the bridge word matters
COOP already shares three letter positions with POOP. The final move changes the first letter from C to P, completing the ladder without disturbing the matching characters.
To apply this strategy to another Poople game, work backward from POOP: list its valid one-letter neighbours, then test which candidate connects to the chain you are building from the starting word.
Difficulty notes
How difficult is Poople #406?
Poople #406 scores 29/100 on the PoopleToday Difficulty Index and is rated Easy. The index combines minimum route length, word familiarity and route flexibility. Within Poople Today’s validated word list, the computed minimum is 5 moves. Its easiest computed minimum route contains no intermediate words in the lowest frequency quartile. 10 computed minimum routes were found in this word list.
Source and review
How this Poople answer is checked
Poople Today stores the puzzle number, starting word, par and published route with its source. Automated checks confirm four-letter formatting, the correct start and target, one changed letter per move and agreement between the route length and par. The recorded source is retained internally for review.
The current route status is structure validated. Structural validation confirms that the displayed chain follows the game rules. Separately, the Difficulty Index searches Poople Today’s validated word list for computed minimum routes; that calculation does not prove that no route exists using a word outside this list. Last reviewed .