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Letter codes

A word is put into code by moving its letters along the alphabet. You find the moves, then use them to code a new word or to turn a code back into one.

Rush doesn’t practise letter codes yet. These games practise related skills: Sequences and Add & Subtract.

Start the guide Practise 8 questions

Chapter 1

What are letter code questions?

You’re given a word and its code, like BOAT and CNBS. Each letter of the word has moved a few places along the alphabet to make its code letter.

You work out how each letter moved, then move the letters of a new word in the same way. Some questions go the other way: you turn a code back into a word.

  1. The word and its code. BOAT and CNBS. They show you the rule.

  2. The new word. YAWN, to put into the same code.

Each question has a code of its own, so you start fresh every time. The exam usually prints the alphabet across the top of the page to help.

If the code for BOAT is CNBS, what is the code for YAWN?

  • ZBXO
  • XZVM
  • ZZXM
  • XBVO
  • ZAXM

Chapter 2

Solve it in 4 steps.

Here’s the question, one step at a time.

The question

If the code for BOAT is CNBS, what is the code for YAWN?

  • ZBXO
  • XZVM
  • ZZXM
  • XBVO
  • ZAXM

  1. Step 1

    Number the letters.

    Write 1 to 26 under the alphabet. To find a letter quickly, count from E 5, J 10, O 15 or T 20 instead of from A. Then write the word over its code, letter over letter.

    B 2 O 15 A 1 T 20 C 3 N 14 B 2 S 19

    BOAT over its code, CNBS.

  2. Step 2

    Write the move under every letter.

    Plus means on, towards Z. Minus means back, towards A. B 2 to C 3 is +1, but O 15 to N 14 is −1. Do all four: the moves take turns.

    +1 −1 +1 −1 B 2 O 15 A 1 T 20 C 3 N 14 B 2 S 19

    +1, −1, +1, −1: the moves take turns.

  3. Step 3

    Give YAWN the same moves.

    Keep each move in its place: the first letter gets the first move, the second gets the second. Y +1 is Z, W +1 is X and N −1 is M. That leaves A −1.

    +1 −1 +1 −1 Y A W N Z X M

    Three letters done. What’s one back from A?

  4. Step 4

    Go round the end.

    The alphabet goes round in a loop: after Z comes A again, and before A comes Z. So one back from A is Z, and the code is ZZXM.

    −1 X 24 Y 25 Z 26 A 1 B 2 C 3

    One back from A is Z.

Three traps in the options

The mistakeDo this instead
Using one move for every letter. ZBXO moves all of YAWN 1 on, like B to C. XZVM moves it all 1 back, like O to N. Each fits only two letters.Find the move for every letter of the word before you code anything.
Starting the pattern the wrong way. XBVO goes −1, +1, −1, +1: the right moves, in the wrong places.Give the first letter the first move. Here that’s +1.
Stopping at A. ZAXM leaves A as it is, as if nothing came before it.Go round the end: one back from A is Z.

So it’s ZZXM. Y +1, A −1, W +1 and N −1: the same moves as BOAT to CNBS. Two Zs is fine, because they come from different letters.

Remember: Check the move on every letter.

Chapter 3

The other codes.

Exam papers use all of these. Each card is one kind: how it works, an example, and the trap.

  • +1 +1 +1 +1 L A M P M B N Q

    Every letter moves the same

    One move for every letter. Find it, then check it on a second letter.

    LAMP is MBNQ, so SHOE is TIPF. Trap: count the jumps, not the letters. Saying “L, M” counts two letters, but L to M is one jump. Count two and you get UJQG.

  • +1 +2 +3 +4 B O N D C Q Q H

    The moves grow

    Each move is one more than the last.

    BOND is CQQH, so WORD is XQUH. Trap: BOND has no double, but CQQH has QQ. A double the word doesn’t have is a sign the moves change. They can shrink too: +4, +3, +2, +1.

  • 27 27 27 C 3 A 1 T 20 X 24 Z 26 G 7

    Partner letters add to 27

    No pattern in the moves? Add each pair. If they all make 27, the letters are partners: A with Z, B with Y.

    CAT is XZG, so DOG is WLT: D is 4, and 27 − 4 = 23, which is W. Trap: M and N are partners, but M to N looks like +1, so check a second letter.

  • −2 −2 −2 −2 V 22 C 3 R 18 G 7 T 20 A 1 P 16 E 5

    Decoding goes the other way

    To turn a code back into a word, turn every move round: +2 becomes −2.

    FISH is HKUJ, every letter +2, so VCRG means TAPE. Trap: going on 2 again gives XETI. Not a real word? You went the wrong way. Partner codes work the same both ways.

  • CLOUD → DUOLC

    STORM → MROTS

    The word written backwards

    If the code uses only the word’s own letters, read it from the end.

    CLOUD is DUOLC, so STORM is MROTS. Trap: hunting for moves. C to D looks like +1, but L to U is +9, and there’s no pattern to find.

  • CE → FH

    PR → SU

    Letter pairs work the same way

    “CE is to FH as PR is to ?” is a two‑letter code.

    C to F is +3 and E to H is +3, so PR becomes SU. Trap: the two letters don’t always move the same amount, so find the move for each one.

Learn the partners by heart

Fold the alphabet in half between M and N, and each letter lands on its partner. Know the pairs and a partner code takes no counting at all.

  1. AZ
  2. BY
  3. CX
  4. DW
  5. EV
  6. FU
  7. GT
  8. HS
  9. IR
  10. JQ
  11. KP
  12. LO
  13. MN

Chapter 4

Try it yourself.

Easier ones first. Try each one before you open its answer.

  1. A1
  2. B2
  3. C3
  4. D4
  5. E5
  6. F6
  7. G7
  8. H8
  9. I9
  10. J10
  11. K11
  12. L12
  13. M13
  14. N14
  15. O15
  16. P16
  17. Q17
  18. R18
  19. S19
  20. T20
  21. U21
  22. V22
  23. W23
  24. X24
  25. Y25
  26. Z26
Every letter’s place in the alphabet. E 5, J 10, O 15 and T 20 are good places to count from.

  1. Question 1Level 1

    If the code for BIRD is CJSE, what is the code for FROG?

    • GSPH
    • EQNF
    • HTQI
    • GSPI
    • GRPH
    Show answer

    Answer: GSPH.

    How to answer it

    1. B (2) becomes C (3): +1. Check: I becomes J, +1 again.
    2. Move each letter of FROG 1 on: G, S, P, H. The code is GSPH.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • EQNFEvery letter moved 1 back, not 1 on.
    • HTQIEvery letter moved 2 on.
    • GSPIG moved 2 on, to I. One on from G is H.
    • GRPHR was left as it is. One on from R is S.

  2. Question 2Level 1

    If the code for MILK is NJML, what does CBMM mean?

    • CALL
    • BELL
    • BALL
    • TALL
    • BALD
    Show answer

    Answer: BALL.

    How to answer it

    1. M (13) becomes N (14): +1. Check: I becomes J, +1 again.
    2. To decode, move each letter 1 back: C goes back to B, B to A, M to L and M to L. CBMM means BALL.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • CALLC would be coded as D, but the code starts with C.
    • BELLE would be coded as F, but the second letter of the code is B.
    • TALLT would be coded as U, but the code starts with C.
    • BALDThe code ends in a double, MM, so the word ends in a double too. BALD would be CBME.

  3. Question 3Level 1

    If the code for SUN is UWP, what is the code for MAP?

    • NBQ
    • OCR
    • KYN
    • OCQ
    • PDS
    Show answer

    Answer: OCR.

    How to answer it

    1. S (19) becomes U (21): +2. Check: U becomes W, +2 again.
    2. Move each letter of MAP 2 on: O, C, R. The code is OCR.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • NBQEvery letter moved 1 on. S to U is 2.
    • KYNEvery letter moved 2 back instead of 2 on.
    • OCQP moved 1 on, to Q. Two on from P is R.
    • PDSEvery letter moved 3 on.

  4. Question 4Level 2

    If the code for HEN is SVM, what is the code for BOX?

    • YLC
    • MZI
    • XKB
    • YLD
    • CLY
    Show answer

    Answer: YLC.

    How to answer it

    1. H (8) becomes S (19), 11 on. Check the second letter: E becomes V, and that isn't 11 on. Not a shift.
    2. Add the pairs: 8 + 19 = 27, 5 + 22 = 27, 14 + 13 = 27. A mirror code.
    3. Take each letter from 27: B gives 27 − 2 = 25, Y. O gives 27 − 15 = 12, L. X gives 27 − 24 = 3, C. The code is YLC.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • MZIEvery letter moved 11 on, the move from H to S. E to V isn't 11 on, so it was never a shift.
    • XKBThese are pairs that add to 26. Mirror pairs add to 27.
    • YLDX is 24, and 27 − 24 = 3, which is C, not D.
    • CLYThis is YLC backwards. B comes first in BOX, so its partner, Y, comes first in the code.

  5. Question 5Level 2

    If the code for COW is FRZ, what is the code for YAK?

    • ADN
    • VXH
    • BDN
    • CEO
    • BDM
    Show answer

    Answer: BDN.

    How to answer it

    1. C (3) becomes F (6): +3. Check: O becomes R, +3 again.
    2. Y +3 runs off the end of the alphabet: Z, A, B. With numbers, 25 + 3 = 28, and 28 − 26 = 2, which is B.
    3. A +3 is D, and K +3 is N. The code is BDN.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • ADNY was counted as one of the three: Y, Z, A. Count the jumps after Y: Z, A, B.
    • VXHEvery letter moved 3 back instead of 3 on.
    • CEOEvery letter moved 4 on.
    • BDMK moved 2 on, to M. Three on from K is N.

  6. Question 6Level 2

    If the code for GOLD is EMJB, what does RCLR mean?

    • RENT
    • TEST
    • TENT
    • TEXT
    • SENT
    Show answer

    Answer: TENT.

    How to answer it

    1. G (7) becomes E (5): −2. Check: O becomes M, −2 again.
    2. To decode, go the other way and move each letter 2 on. R becomes T, C becomes E, L becomes N, R becomes T.
    3. RCLR means TENT.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • RENTR would be coded as P. The R in RCLR is a code letter, so it doesn't stay as R in the word.
    • TESTS would be coded as Q, but the third letter of the code is L.
    • TEXTX would be coded as V, but the third letter of the code is L.
    • SENTS would be coded as Q, but the code starts with R.

  7. Question 7Level 3

    If the code for MILK is NKOO, what is the code for CAKE?

    • DBLF
    • DCNI
    • GDMF
    • DCLG
    • DCNH
    Show answer

    Answer: DCNI.

    How to answer it

    1. Write the moves: M to N is +1, I to K is +2, L to O is +3, K to O is +4. The move grows by 1 each letter.
    2. Give CAKE the same moves: C +1 is D, A +2 is C, K +3 is N, E +4 is I.
    3. The code is DCNI. The double O in NKOO was the clue: L and K are different letters, so the move had to be changing.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • DBLFEvery letter moved 1 on. That is only the first letter's move.
    • GDMFThe moves were used backwards: +4, +3, +2, +1.
    • DCLGThe moves were read as +1 and +2 taking turns. The third move is +3, not +1.
    • DCNHE moved 3 on, to H. The fourth move is +4, which gives I.

  8. Question 8Level 3

    If the code for MOON is NLLM, what does NZGV mean?

    • MAZE
    • LATE
    • GATE
    • MATE
    • MALE
    Show answer

    Answer: MATE.

    How to answer it

    1. M to N looks like +1. Check the second letter: O to L is 3 back. Not a shift.
    2. Add the pairs: 13 + 14 = 27 and 15 + 12 = 27. A mirror code, which works the same in both directions.
    3. Take each code letter from 27: N (14) gives M (13), Z (26) gives A (1), G (7) gives T (20) and V (22) gives E (5). NZGV means MATE.
    4. Decoding it as a shift of 1 gives MYFU, which isn't a word.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • MAZEZ would be coded as A, but the third letter of the code is G.
    • LATEL (12) would be coded as O (15), but the code starts with N.
    • GATEG would be coded as T, but the code starts with N.
    • MALEL would be coded as O, but the third letter of the code is G.
Next in verbal reasoning Number codes How to solve 11+ number code questions: match words to jumbled codes using double and shared letters, write a key, then code or decode. Read the guide

For parents.

What parents ask us about letter codes.

Questions parents ask

What is a letter code in verbal reasoning?

A rule that turns a word into a string of letters, usually by moving each letter along the alphabet or swapping it for its partner at the other end. The question shows one word with its code and asks you to code another word, or to decode one. Each question has its own rule, so there's nothing to memorise except the alphabet.

Will the alphabet be printed on the paper?

Usually, as a strip across the top of the page, but don't rely on it: if it isn't there, write A to Z out before starting. A child who knows E5, J10, O15 and T20 can also count from the nearest anchor in a couple of seconds.

How can my child learn the mirror pairs?

Fold the alphabet in half between M and N: A sits on Z, B on Y, M on N. Every pair adds to 27. Knowing a few pairs by heart (A and Z, E and V, J and Q, O and L, T and G) gives fixed points to count from.

What mistakes should we watch for?

There are two common ones. The first is finding the move on one letter and coding the whole word with it. Checking a second letter catches mirror codes and changing moves before any time is lost. The second is decoding in the same direction as the code.

Practise the related skills in Rush.

  • SequencesOnce the letters are numbered, a letter code means finding the step on one letter and checking it on the rest. Sequences builds the same habit with rows of numbers.
  • Add & SubtractCodes need quick sums such as 24 + 4 and 27 − 15, and Add & Subtract builds that speed.

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