11+ Letter Codes: How to Crack Verbal Reasoning Code Questions
By Simply Eleven Plus · Updated 25 October 2026 · 5 min read
Letter code questions appear in most Verbal Reasoning papers. A word is turned into a code by moving each letter along the alphabet by a rule, and your child has to work out the rule and use it. Once they know the three common rules, these become some of the quickest marks on the paper.
Step 1: know the alphabet positions
Speed comes from knowing that M is 13 or T is 20 without counting. A quick way to learn them is EJOTY: the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th letters are E, J, O, T and Y. Every other letter is close to one of these.
| Letter | E | J | O | T | Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
In the exam, it is worth writing the alphabet across the top of the page with a few numbers under it.
Rule 1: every letter moves by the same amount
Example
If CAT is written as ECV, what is the code for DOG?
C → E is +2, A → C is +2, T → V is +2. So every letter moves forward 2.
D + 2 = F, O + 2 = Q, G + 2 = I. Answer: FQI
Rule 2: the amount changes along the word
Example
If MAP is written as NCS, what is the code for SUN?
M → N is +1, A → C is +2, P → S is +3. The moves go up by one each time.
S + 1 = T, U + 2 = W, N + 3 = Q. Answer: TWQ
Always check every letter, not just the first one: the rule is often different for each position.
Rule 3: mirror codes (A ↔ Z)
In a mirror code, the alphabet is folded in half: A swaps with Z, B with Y, C with X, and so on. The two positions always add up to 27, so the partner of a letter is 27 minus its position.
Example
Using A ↔ Z, B ↔ Y and so on, what is the code for LION?
L is 12 → 27 − 12 = 15 = O. I is 9 → 18 = R. O is 15 → 12 = L. N is 14 → 13 = M.
Answer: ORLM
A clue that it’s a mirror code: letters near the start of the alphabet turn into letters near the end.
Watch out for wrap-around
When a move goes past Z, carry on from A. For example, Y + 3: Z, A, B, so Y + 3 = B.
Working backwards
Some questions give the code and ask for the word. Use the same rule in reverse: if the code moved letters forward 2, move the code letters back 2.
Quick checklist
- Write the alphabet out at the start of the paper.
- Work out the move for every letter, not just the first.
- If the moves are big and get smaller, check for a mirror code.
- Remember to wrap around after Z.
- Check your answer by coding it back.
Practise it
The method only sticks with practice. Try Verbal Reasoning code questions on Simply Eleven Plus, free to start, with instant marking and an explanation for every answer, or sit a free live mock exam to practise under real exam conditions.
Free 11+ live mock exams
Let your child sit a real-time, timed mock paper online, then go through the trickiest questions together. It’s free.