Word sequences

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+---
+author: admin
+categories:
+- Non-technical
+date: 2024-09-03
+tags:
+- words
+title: 'Word Sequences'
+---
+
+What's the longest sequence of words you can make, beginning with any word and adding one letter at a time, if each step must also be a word?
+
+If you add can add letters on either end, I found this 10-letter sequence with a computer search:
+
+    I
+    in
+    tin
+    ting
+    sting
+    siting
+    sitting
+    slitting
+    splitting
+    splittings
+
+If you can add them only at the beginning my search outputs the dubious:
+
+    co
+    com
+    comp
+    compo
+    compos
+    compose
+    composer
+    composers
+
+Or for only at the end, see the equally doubtful:
+
+    es
+    hes
+    shes
+    ashes
+    lashes
+    plashes
+    splashes
+
+My personal favorite, allowing rearranging letters, yields this whopping 15-letter series:
+
+    I
+    it
+    tie
+    rite
+    irate
+    attire
+    cattier
+    interact
+    intricate
+    recitation
+    ratiocinate
+    ratiocinated
+    accreditation
+    contraindicate
+    contraindicated
+
+The above answers found using a python, and the [GNU aspell](https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/aspell/dict/0index.html) dictionary. Words containing ', -, or capital letters were removed.