# Change each letter in a word to form the most new words **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 18, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-each-letter-in-a-word-to-form-the-most-new-words/656054 "2013-04-18T18:30:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-each-letter-in-a-word-to-form-the-most-new-words/656054/1 "2013-04-18T18:30:06Z")
Pick some 3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-letter word and cycle through the letters in each position of the original word to make the most words (found in a reasonable dictionary) to try to find the basic word that permits the most such changes. Avoid proper nouns. Example: RATE Bate Date Fate Gate Hate Late Mate Pate Sate rEte rIte rOte raCe raGe raKe raLe raPe raRe raSe raVe ratS 21 variants Beat that. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-each-letter-in-a-word-to-form-the-most-new-words/656054/2 "2013-04-18T18:36:44Z")
Hmmm… BARE Bare, Care, Dare, Fare, Hare, Mare, Pare, Rare, Ware bAre, bOre baDe, baKe, baLe, baNe, baSe, baTe barB, barD, barF, barK, barM, barN, barS I count 24. Have you read Dmitri Borgmann’s _Language On Vacation_? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-each-letter-in-a-word-to-form-the-most-new-words/656054/3 "2013-04-18T18:39:54Z")
Challenge accepted: RATES Bates Dates Fates Gates Hates Lates Mates Pates Sates rEtes rItes rOtes raCes raGes raKes raLes raPes raRes raSes raVes Bated Dated Fated Gated Hated Mated Sated raCed raGed raKed raLed raPed raSed raVed 34 variants. 😃