A rebus is a riddle in the form of a special pattern in which pictures, letters, numbers and various other symbols can be used.
The rebus is always read from left to right (except in special cases).
There are commas near the picture - this means that you need to remove as many letters in the word as there are commas. Commas to the left of the picture - you need to remove letters at the beginning, commas to the right - how many letters to remove at the end.
For example, in the word “GHOST” you need to remove 3 letters at the beginning
and 4 at the end. We get the word "VIEW".
The picture is turned upside down - the word is read “back to front”.
For example, inverted Jester = TUSH 
Letters next to the picture means these letters need to be added.
For example, the word "BISON" is encrypted here 
Near the picture there is a crossed out letter, and next to it there is another one - which means that this letter in the word needs to be replaced with this one. If the letters are simply crossed out, they need to be removed from this word
ELEPHANT = BREAK
The arrow in the picture may indicate exactly what to pay attention to.
The numbers above the picture are used to number the letters in the word. The number indicates the place of the letter in a given word, and the order in which the numbers are written determines the new place of this letter. If there are fewer numbers than letters in a word, it means that not all letters of the word are used, but only data.
For example, from the word “TIGER” we get the word “THREE”.
The horizontal line between pictures or letters standing one below the other is used to encrypt letter combinations using the prepositions “ON”, “ABOVE”, “UNDER”.
For example, the word "NAST" - on S T
Sometimes numbers are used instead of pictures :
Letter puzzles are common. Letters are depictedone after another, one inside another, some “run” to others, some “come out” of others...
For example, the word “WATER” can also be the other way around “YES IN O”. Let's see what makes sense.
If you want to practice solving puzzles, go to our section and dare!
List of puzzles in pictures:
About the inverted house and the letter "A"
It seems to be the word "gender", but it seems not...
Hint - rebus about a bird)
There is a human nose in this puzzle, why is it here..
A rebus is a special type of riddle in which the hidden words are encrypted using a sequence of pictures, letters, numbers and other symbols.
In order to solve and compose puzzles, you need to know the rules and techniques that are used in composing them. Read and remember these rules. For greater clarity, some of them are illustrated with examples.
1. The names of all objects depicted in the rebus are read only in the nominative case and singular. Sometimes the desired object in the picture is indicated by an arrow.
2. Very often, an object depicted in a rebus may have not one, but two or more names, for example, “eye” and “eye,” “leg” and “paw,” etc. Or it may have one general and one specific name, for example “tree” and “oak”, “note” and “D”, etc. You need to choose one that is appropriate in meaning.
The ability to identify and correctly name the object shown in the picture is one of the main difficulties when deciphering puzzles. In addition to knowing the rules, you will need ingenuity and logic.
3. Sometimes the name of an object cannot be used in its entirety - it is necessary to discard one or two letters at the beginning or end of the word. In these cases, the symbol is used - comma. If the comma is left from the picture, this means that you need to discard the first letter from its name if on right from the drawing - then the last one. If there are two commas, then two letters are discarded accordingly, etc.
For example, a “yoke” is drawn, you only need to read “whirlpool”, a “sail” is drawn, you only need to read “steam”.
4. If two objects or two letters are drawn one inside the other, then their names are read with the addition of a preposition "V". For example: “v-oh-yes”, or “not-in-a”, or “in-oh-seven”:
In this and the next five examples, different readings are possible, for example, instead of “eight” you can read “SEVEN”, and instead of “water” - “DAVO”. But such words do not exist! This is where ingenuity and logic should come to your aid.
5. If any letter consists of another letter, then read with the addition "from". For example: “iz-b-a” or “vn-iz-u” or “f-iz-ik”:
6. If behind any letter or object there is another letter or object, then you need to read with the addition "behind".
For example: “Ka-za-n”, “za-ya-ts”.
7. If one figure or letter is drawn under another, then you need to read it with the addition "on the", "above" or "under"- choose a preposition that makes sense.
For example: “fo-na-ri” or “pod-u-shka”:
The phrase: “Tit found a horseshoe and gave it to Nastya” can be depicted like this:
8. If another letter is written after a letter, then read it with the addition of “by”. For example: “po-r-t”, “po-l-e”, “po-ya-s”:
9. If one letter lies next to another, leaning against it, then read with the addition of “u”. For example: “L-u-k”, “d-u-b”:
10. If in a rebus there is an image of an object drawn upside down, then its name must be read from the end. For example, “cat” is drawn, you need to read “current”, “nose” is drawn, you need to read “dream”.
11. If an object is drawn, and a letter is written next to it and then crossed out, this means that this letter must be eliminated from the resulting word. If there is another letter above the crossed out letter, this means that you need to replace the crossed out letter with it. Sometimes in this case an equal sign is placed between the letters
For example: “eye” we read “gas”, “bone” we read “guest”.
A fairy tale about how kittens learned to solve puzzles
Rules for solving puzzles for children and adults with presentation
Tatyana Aleksandrovna Tolstikova, teacher of the Nenets Sanatorium Boarding School, Naryan-Mar
Description: I bring to your attention a fairy tale, by reading which the children will learn the rules of solving puzzles. The material may be interesting and useful to everyone who wants to comprehend this simple and very fascinating science.
Target: Introducing the rules for solving puzzles
Tasks: Develop logical thinking, intelligence,
Develop fantasy, imagination,
Cultivate a love for pets.
Once upon a time there lived a girl Masha who loved to read books and solve puzzles. And even more, she loved to play with little kittens, take care of them and teach them the rules of cultural behavior.
And how the kittens loved her! At every free moment they ran to their girlfriend. Mashenka immediately put aside her business and frolicked with the restless guests.
Once, during one such game, the smartest kitten, Murzik, dropped Mashin’s book, and the kittens saw on the page that opened some pictures with squiggles, letters and numbers. The kittens began to run around the book and look into it with caution. And Mashenka laughed and began to calm them down:
- Don't be afraid, these are just puzzles. Would you like me to teach you how to guess them?
“Here’s another thing,” said Chernysh, “I’d better go and eat some fish.”
With these words, he took the fish that Mashenka had prepared for her pets and ate it in one minute.
- Well, you have an appetite, just like commas in puzzles. As soon as such a comma appears near a picture, the letters immediately disappear in the word that the picture represents. There are as many commas as there are letters. Look at this.
And Masha drew several pictures for Chernysh so that everything would be clear to him.
-You see, there is a comma after the image of the table. This means that the letter “l” must be removed from the word “table”. What word will it be?
“It seems like a hundred,” Chernysh said cautiously.
-Well done!
-Oh, oh, I'm afraid! - Chernysh suddenly shouted, seeing a thunderstorm in the picture.
- Don’t be afraid, weirdo, you see the comma ahead. What will happen now?
-Rose? Cool! Can a thunderstorm really turn into a rose? - Chernysh jumped for joy.
-Surely!
- What if you need to remove several letters? – the kitten asked, narrowing his eyes slyly.
- To do this, you just need to put a few commas. Look,” and Mashenka showed Chernysh a new picture.
“I know, I know,” Chernysh jumped for joy, “hedgehogs will appear now!”
“Let’s check,” Mashenka said with a smile. And two funny hedgehogs appeared in the picture.
-Hooray!!! - Chernysh shouted, - I learned to solve puzzles!
He jumped with joy and turned over his head. And Murzik jumped after him. And at that very moment he found himself in the air upside down.
- Take your time! - Masha shouted, - look what can happen in puzzles with cats who behave like this. If the object in the rebus is turned upside down, its name is read from right to left.
-It's not fair! – someone’s ringing voice rang out, “why are the puzzles only about them?” I also want a puzzle to be written about me.
Barsik was peeking out of Grandma's favorite cup.
“Okay, okay,” Masha reassured him, “where are you now?”
“In a cup,” answered Barsik, and waved his paw to Masha.
- Here you are in a cup, and the letters can be in another letter. Look. The letter "LK" is located in the letter "O".
- Exactly, just like me! – the kitten was happy.
-What word did you get?
- Wolf? Why do we need a wolf? - Barsik was scared.
“Just so that you can learn to solve puzzles,” Masha reassured him, “you just need to remember that prepositions can also appear in the middle of a word, here you need to choose the right option.” For example, here the preposition is in the middle of the word.
- In these puzzles we used the preposition B. And you can also use other prepositions. For example, for example,” the girl began to look around, “Look at Vaska.” A butterfly landed on his tail. Letters can also sit on top of each other.
-Or they may be under a different letter, like Vaska the cat under a hat from Nikolai Nosov’s story.
“And also,” said Mashenka, “you can use the prepositions for, before, to, from, by, with, from.” You just need to not be lazy and look for the right option.
“That’s it, I’m completely confused in your puzzles,” Ryzhik sighed doomedly.
“You got tangled up in grandma’s threads,” Mashenka scolded him, “by the way, letters can also get tangled up and change places in a word using ordinal numbers.” Imagine that you came to visit me in a carriage. Try to find out how you will get away from me.
- On a rocket! “On a rocket,” the kittens shouted in unison.
-But do you want to make friends with such an animal? – Mashenka asked, showing a mole in the picture.
“Fi,” the kittens hissed, arching their backs.
- Then use another rebus rule rather, and cross out the letter from the middle of the word.
- Do you want me to treat you for your efforts? – the girl asked the kittens.
“We want, we want!” the kittens purred and began to rub against Machine’s legs.
- Get it! – Masha showed the squirrel to the kittens with a smile.
“Oh-oh,” the disappointed kittens sighed, “we don’t eat squirrels.” And they turned away from Masha offended.
“Well then, guess for yourself, with the help of which puzzle rule you can turn a squirrel into a delicious bun,” said Masha and went to the kitchen. And when she returned, in the picture and on Masha’s plate, instead of a squirrel, there were delicious buns.
- Well done, you guessed it! – Mashenka praised her smart students. She treated them to delicious buns. The kittens ate their fill and immediately fell asleep, and they dreamed of puzzles that they would always solve now together with their little teacher.
To learn how to compose and understand puzzles, it is worth understanding what they are.
Word "rebus" of Latin origin (Latin rebus, with the help of things, “Non verbis sed rebus” - “Not with words, but with the help of things”). The rebus originated in France in the 15th century, and the first printed collection of rebuses, published in this country in 1582, was compiled by Etienne Taboureau. Over the time that has passed since then, the technique of composing rebus problems has been enriched with many different techniques.
So, rebus- This is one of the types of puzzles, a riddle to decipher words. Encrypted according to certain rules in a rebus, there can be not only a single word, but also a proverb, a saying, a quote, a riddle, and even a whole short story. Words and phrases in the rebus are depicted in the form of pictures, letters, numbers, notes and other various symbols, the number of which is not limited. Solving a rebus is a whole science. When solving a rebus, you need to write down all the signs in the form of a meaningful word or sentence. Although there are several types of puzzles (literary, mathematical, musical, sound, etc.), there are some general rules for composing and solving them.
example of a rebus
GENERAL RULES FOR SOLVING PUZZLES
A word or sentence is divided into parts that can be depicted in the form of a picture or any sign. The rebus is read from left to right, less often from top to bottom. Punctuation marks and spaces are not taken into account in the rebus. If there is one word in the rebus, then it should, as a rule, be a noun, and in the singular and in the nominative case. Deviations from this rule must be specified in the terms of the rebus. If a sentence is made (a proverb, an aphorism, etc.), then, naturally, it can contain not only nouns, but also verbs and other parts of speech. In this case, the terms of the rebus must contain the appropriate phrase (for example: “Guess the riddle”). A rebus must have a solution, and, as a rule, only one. The ambiguity of the answer should be specified in the conditions of the rebus. For example: “Find two solutions to this puzzle.” The number of techniques and their combinations used in one rebus is not limited.
PUZZLES IN PICTURES
The simplest option is when the rebus consists of two pictures, which will help you create a new word. The names of the objects depicted in the rebus should be read in the nominative case, singular or plural if several objects are depicted.
rebus 1
FOB + WINDOW = FIBER
rebus 2
TRAIL + EXPERIENCE = TRAILER
rebus 3
EYE + FACES = OUTDOORS
From the last example it is clear that the picture in the rebus can have more than one name (eye and eye, bees and swarm, etc.); or the image may have a general or private name (bird - general name; swift, swallow, chicken - private name). If the depicted object has two meanings, then logically you need to determine the appropriate one. This is the most difficult thing about puzzles.
If the picture upside down, this means that the word is read “back to front”.
rebus 4
Inverted NOSE = SLEEP
If to the right or left of the picture there is one or more letters- this means that these letters should simply be added. Sometimes they are preceded by a “+” sign. Sometimes the desired object in the picture is indicated by an arrow.
rebus 5
FLASK + SA = SAUSAGE
rebus 6
Letter X + LEV = STORY
PUZZLES WITH COMMA
Commas to the right or left of the picture means that in the word guessed using the picture you need to remove as many letters as there are commas. In this case, commas in front of the picture indicate how many letters need to be removed at the beginning of the hidden word, commas at the end of the picture indicate how many letters need to be removed from the end of the word. Sometimes commas to the left of the image are drawn upside down, although this does not play a fundamental role.
rebus 7
VOL K - K = VOL
rebus 8
GA MAC - GA = MAC
rebus 9
BA SLAVE AN - BA - AN = SLAVE
The arrow pointing to the left, shown above the picture, indicates that after the word has been deciphered, it must be read backwards.
rebus 10
DRESSER - KO, read from right to left = HOUSE
PUZZLES WITH LETTERS AND NUMBERS
If it is above the picture crossed out letter, and there is another one next to it, then this letter in the word needs to be changed to the indicated one. If one or more letters are simply crossed out, then they need to be removed from the word. The "=" sign also serves to replace one of the letters with another.
rebus 11
O R YOL = DONKEY
rebus 12
BA BARREL - BA = BARREL
rebus 13
KORO VA = CORONA
If the crossed out letter(s) stands as an independent figure, then it must be read with the addition of the particle “not”.
rebus 14
NOT TEACHING
Numbers can be used instead of pictures. If part of a word in a rebus is represented by a number, then the number is pronounced as a numeral.
rebus 15
Number SEVEN + letter I = FAMILY
rebus 16
Number STO + letter L = TABLE
We keep in mind that a number can have more than one name.
rebus 17
ONCE + FORK = FORK
rebus 18
Letter Ш + KOL + letter A = SCHOOL
rebus 19
Letter P + ONE + AR KA = MOLE
rebus 20
BY VAR + number TWO + L EC = BASEMENT
Several identical letters or other images in a row mean that you need to try to count them.
rebus 21
SEVEN letters I = FAMILY
rebus 22
THREE CATS + letter F = KNITWEAR
rebus 23
A PAIR of letters D = PARADE
Numbers next to the picture serve to number letters in a word. The number indicates the place of the letter in a given word, and the order in which the numbers are written determines the new place of this letter.
rebus 24
PINE = PUMP
rebus 25
PAINTER = GAUGE
If there are fewer numbers indicated than letters in the hidden word, this means that only the specified number of letters must be selected from the hidden word.
rebus 26
A LL IGAT O R = GUITAR
The use of crossed out numbers means that the corresponding letters must be removed from the hidden word.
rebus 27
PAL AT KA = STICK
If next to the picture there are two numbers with arrows pointing in different directions, it means that in the word the letters indicated by the numbers must be swapped.
rebus 28
Z A M OK = Smear
Roman numerals may also be used.
rebus 29
Forty A = FORTY
The use of fractions is not excluded. When a fraction is used in a puzzle, it is solved as "ON THE"(divide by). If the rebus uses a fraction with a denominator of 2, then it can be solved as "FLOOR"(half).
rebus 30
Z divided by K = SIGN
rebus 31
Gender of the letter E = FIELD
Crossed out sign "=" between the pictures should be read as "NOT".
rebus 32
And not Y = FROST
PUZZLES BY THE TYPE “LETTERS IN A LETTER”, “LETTERS ON OR UNDER A LETTER”
Often in puzzles they draw letters placed in an unusual angle relative to each other (one inside the other, one under or above the other, one running towards the other, one coming out of the other, etc.). This means that it is necessary to describe a picture or letter combinations using prepositions and conjunctions: “I”, “B”, “K”, “U”, “C”, “FOR”, “FROM”, “ON”, “PO” , "BEFORE" and others.
If objects, numbers or letters are depicted one within the other, then their names are read with the addition of a preposition "IN" before or between titles.
rebus 33
In the letter O the letter Z = WHO
rebus 34
Letter Z in letter O + letter N = RINGING
If one object is depicted behind another, then their names are read with the addition of a preposition "BEFORE" or "BEHIND".
rebus 35
Behind the letter L is the letter P = VALLEY
Usage horizontal line between pictures, letters or numbers placed one below the other means the use of prepositions "ON THE", "ABOVE", "UNDER".
rebus 36
On the letter C the letter T = NAST
rebus 37
Under the letter C kok = JUMP
rebus 38
From the letter N to the letter E + letter G = SNOW
Date of: 12/19/2015 how to solve puzzles
These are the basic rules that will help you learn to solve puzzles. They are shown in the following short cartoon, and are also discussed in more detail below in the text.
Examples of puzzles enlarge when clicked.
1. A picture, geometric figure, number or musical note means that to solve the puzzle you need to read the name of what is depicted. For example, the number “100” together with the letter “L” turns into “TABLE”, the note “SI” with the addition of the syllable “LA” gives us the word “POWER”, and the figure “ROHMBUS” with the last letter taken away and the letter “G” standing in front " becomes the word "thunder":
How to solve puzzles. The rebus reads as: HUNDRED + L. It can be solved as TABLE. Rebus-1
How to solve puzzles. The rebus is read as SI (note) + LA. You can solve it like POWER. Rebus-2
How to solve puzzles. The rebus is read as G + ROM (a rhombus shape without the last letter). You can solve it like THUNDER. Rebus-3
2. A comma means that you need to remove the last letter (at the beginning or at the end) from the picture next to which there is a comma. Two commas mean removing two letters. The direction of the tail of the comma points towards the picture from which the letter must be subtracted. Puzzles containing an element with a large number of commas are undesirable, since they smear the meaning of the element used. Below is an example where the word “FENCE” with the first two letters taken away is solved as “BOR” - coniferous forest:
How to solve puzzles. Rule-2. Rebus-4
3. A crossed out letter or number above the picture means that to solve this word, this letter or the letter with the indicated number is removed from this word, and in some cases replaced with another letter. For example, the word “WHALE” turns into the word “CAT”, “TABLE” turns into “CHAIR”:
How to solve puzzles. Rule-3. Rebus-5
How to solve puzzles. Rule-3. Rebus-6
4. Letters, numbers or pictures can be in each other, one on top of the other, hide behind the other, consist of one another, then “B”, “ON”, “FOR”, “FROM” are added to the puzzle solution. For example, the letter “O”, which contains the letters “YES”, turns into the word “WATER”, the letters “KA” standing on the letter “U” turn into the word “science”, the letter “C” standing behind the letter “ I" can be solved as the word "HARE", and the large letter "A", consisting of small letters "B" must be solved as the word "HUT":
How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-7
How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-8
How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-9
How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-10
It is necessary to say separately about puzzles in which the fragments “ON” and “ABOVE” appear in solving them, as well as about puzzles in which there is variability “ABOVE” - “UNDER” and “FRONT” - “FOR”. In the example you can see that the letters “ZhDA” standing on the letters “DE” are solved as “HOPE”. The same solution is obtained when "WAIT" hangs above the letter "E". The mirror version in the case of letters “hanging” one above the other may imply the position “UNDER”, as in the “BASEMENT” rebus. Similarly, a mirror solution is available in the case of placing some letters after others, then the rebus can be solved by varying the substitutions “FOR” and “BEFORE”, as in the “ALTERATION” rebus.
How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-18
How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-19
How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-20
How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-21
5. Several identical letters in a row when solving means adding a numeral forward - according to the number of these letters. For example, the seven letters “I” mean “FAMILY”:
How to solve puzzles. Rule-5. Rebus-11
6. An inverted picture or part of a word means that the puzzle must be solved by reading the word backwards. For example, an upside-down picture of a cat turns into the word “TOK”:
How to solve puzzles. Rule-6. Rebus-12
7. Inserting a “tick” means that you need to insert an additional letter into the word that the “tick” is directed to. For example, if there is this sign above the number “2”, and with the numbers “1” and “2” on the sides, then you need to insert the indicated letter into the word “TWO” - in our case “I” - between the first and second letters. And since after the two there is also the letter “N”, the whole puzzle can be solved as “SOFA”:
How to solve puzzles. Rule-7. Rebus-13
The above rules are basic, in addition to them there are some “fuzzy” additional rules: multiple selection of letters from the name of an element (when multiple numbers are indicated above the element); pointing with an arrow to a fragment of an element; unclear mutual arrangement of elements (playing on the prepositions “U”, “C”, “OT”, “PO”).
But these additional rules blur the meaning of the rebus puzzle, turning it into a multiple choice problem. If these rules are sometimes used in puzzles for older children, their use in puzzles for children is undesirable, because children first of all need to master the solution algorithms themselves, and this should be done based on clear rules.
Below are examples of “fuzzy” puzzles:
How to solve puzzles. Fuzzy rule. Rebus-14
How to solve puzzles. Fuzzy rule. Rebus-15
How to solve puzzles. Fuzzy rule. Rebus-16
How to solve puzzles. Fuzzy rule. Rebus-17
Also, sometimes puzzles use the technique of nesting, indicated by parentheses. In this case, the rebus consists of other rebuses nested within it. This technique is sometimes used in puzzles for older children. For children, such puzzles are undesirable, since children should first be given basic solving algorithms. An example of such a puzzle is in the figure below:
How to solve puzzles. Reception of nesting. Rebus-22
Puzzles (including and along with other tasks), when used correctly, are an effective tool for teaching children. By offering your child puzzles of the appropriate class, you can purposefully develop the “hardware” of the brain, consistently teaching him problem-solving algorithms and speculative design skills.
Text and illustrations: A. Fokin.