WORD EQUATIONS
SUSAN THORPE
Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England
[email protected]
The letters are each assigned their alphabetical numerical value (a =1 to z = 26).
The letters following the first letter are added or subtracted to equate numerically to the first letter.
3 LETTER WORDS
A = O – N (boy’s name) B = U - S C = A + B
D = I - E E = D + A (girl’s name) F = A + E (var. ‘foe’)
G = U - N H = O - G H = U - M I = D + E
J = O – E K = - I + T L = E + G
M = I + D M = O - B N = I + E O = R - C
P = I + G Q = U - D (Egypt) R = O + C
S = O + D T = O + E U = T + A (Japanese poem)
V = I + M W = H + O X = Y - A (cricket-like insect
genus)
Y = I + P Z = A + Y (dial. ‘say’)
4 LETTER WORDS
A = B - U + T B = O - R + E C = A + G - E
D = A + L - I E = A + R - N F = A + R - M
G = O - L + D H = A + N - G I = V + E - R
J = A + D + E K = E - N + T L = A + M - B
M = E - L + T N = O + D – E O = N + Y - X
P = O - S + T Q = U + O - S (whose) R = E + A + L
S = A + M + E T = A - B + U U = M + P - H
V = O + L - E W = A + R + D X = Y + S - T
Y = E + A + S Z = E + T + A
5 LETTER WORDS
A = L – G + A – E B = A + R + B - S C = L - A + C – K
D = E – L + L - A E = I – R + I + E (19
TH
Cent. var. ‘eerie’ F = E - L + T - S …….
OED)
G = R - A – N + D H = E + A - R + T I = T - E + M - S
J = O + H + A – N K = I + N + G – S L = E + A – N + T
M = E – D + O – C N = G + A - I + O O = P - I + U – M
P = E + T – R + I Q = U + E + E – N R = O + U – N – D
S = H + I – R + T T = H + I + N – K U = S + I – N + G
V = O + T + E – R W = A + S – P + S X = I – R + I + X
(Palindromicon)
Y = A – B + A + Y Z = E + B + R + A
(Palindromicon)
6 LETTER WORDS
A = U - N – T + I + E B = A + C – K + E + D C = H - A + S – E - R
D = U – F + F – L – E E = N + E + R - G –Y F = I + C + K – L - E
G = R + O – C – E – R H = O - R - N + E + T I = N – K + E – R + S
J = A + C - O + B + S K = I - D - N – E + Y L = O – O + K + E - D
M = A + S – T – E + R N = A - T + T - E + R O = X - Y + G - E + N
P = A + D + D + L – E Q = U + A + C + K - S R = A + T – T + L + E
S = E + A + L + E – D T = H + R – O + N - E U = S + H – E + R - S
V = A + N – D – A + L W = A + L + K – E + D X = A – N + N – A + X
(Word Ways May 1974 p94)
Y = O – U + T – H + S Z = O + M + B – I + E