TUTORIALS › VERBAL REASONING

Letter Codes

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In letter code questions, every letter shifts by the same fixed amount. Find the shift and you can decode any word instantly.

A
+3
D
B
+3
E
C
+3
F
Introduction

Every letter shifts by the same amount

In letter code questions, a single number called the shift controls everything. A shift of +3 moves every letter forward by 3 positions. Z wraps around to C. Once you find the shift, the entire code unravels.

VERBAL REASONING

About the Letter Codes lesson

In a letter code question, every letter of a word is moved along the alphabet by the same number of places. Find that number, called the shift, and the whole code opens up. In this lesson your child slides a coded alphabet strip and watches the letters change.

The lesson also covers shifts in both directions and what happens at the end of the alphabet, where Z wraps round to A. A good habit is to work out the shift from one pair of letters, then check it on a second pair before decoding the rest.

Worked example

Question: With a shift of +2, what is the code for FUN?

Answer: F moves on two places to H, U moves on two places to W, and N moves on two places to P, so FUN becomes HWP. To decode, move each letter back by two places.

Who it suits

This lesson suits children aged 8 to 11 who count on their fingers through the alphabet and want a quicker method. It is a good first step before mixed code questions.

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