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# decode

«decode» in Mova's school dictionary: **to change it back into normal words so you can understand it** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (decode, decodes, decoded, decoding)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To decode a secret message or code is to change it back into normal words so you can understand it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#m1)

2) In reading, to decode a word is to work it out by turning letters into their sounds and blending them. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#m2)

3) To decode something is to understand a hidden meaning, like a strange look or difficult instructions. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#m3)

4) In computing, to decode is to change data back into sound, pictures or text. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#m4)

### sense 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 →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#x1)
- Young readers decode words by sounding them out. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#x2)
- Alan Turing's team helped decode enemy messages. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#x3)
- If A = 1 and B = 2, decode 3-1-20. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#x4)
- I could not decode my brother's messy handwriting. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#x5)
- The TV decodes the signal into pictures. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#x6)
- Can you decode what Mum's look meant? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/#x7)

### note

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

### In the corpora

- [Accurate decoding means reading every sound in order; guessing means saying a word that just looks similar.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/2-blending-segmenting-and-the-year-1-check/22/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «decode» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decode/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.