decode

Everyday

1. To decode a secret message or code is to change it back into normal words so you can understand it. tree →
2. In reading, to decode a word is to work it out by turning letters into their sounds and blending them. tree →
3. To decode something is to understand a hidden meaning, like a strange look or difficult instructions. tree →
4. In computing, to decode is to change data back into sound, pictures or text. tree →

In the lessons

In phonics lessons «decoding» is sounding out words: c-a-t → cat. In maths and coding puzzles, you decode messages with a key (A=1, B=2). In history, the code-breakers of Bletchley Park decoded enemy messages. In everyday talk, you decode a teacher's hint.

Examples

• Use the key to decode the secret message. tree →
• Young readers decode words by sounding them out. tree →
• Alan Turing's team helped decode enemy messages. tree →
• If A = 1 and B = 2, decode 3-1-20. tree →
• I could not decode my brother's messy handwriting. tree →
• The TV decodes the signal into pictures. tree →
• Can you decode what Mum's look meant? tree →

Note

Regular verb: decoded. Opposite: encode. «De-» means «undo». In the puzzle above, 3-1-20 decodes to CAT.