How to solve rebus puzzles

Updated August 13, 2026 · 4 min read · 9 tricks + 2 worked examples

To solve a rebus, describe the picture out loud and treat everything as a clue: what the objects are, where they sit, how big they are, which way they point and how many there are. Then sound out your description — rebuses work by sound, not spelling.

Rebuses feel like magic tricks: impossible until you know the move, obvious right after. The good news is that almost every rebus — from Victorian picture letters to modern puzzle apps — is built from the same nine tricks. They work on any picture brain teaser or picture riddle, not just ours. Learn to spot them and “unsolvable” pictures start reading like sentences.

The 9 tricks behind almost every rebus

Say what you see — literally. Name every element in plain words. A picture of a bell next to a boy isn’t abstract art; it’s the syllables bell and boy. Your first honest description is usually 80% of the answer.
Position is a word. Over, under, in, on, between, beside — where things sit is part of the phrase. “Stand” printed above “I” reads I understand. A word tucked inside another adds in.
Size is a word too. An oversized element smuggles in big or large; a tiny one whispers little. A deal drawn huge? Big deal.
Direction and orientation. Backwards text often means back or a reversed word; downhill lettering adds down; tilted or falling letters can spell break or fall.
Count the copies. Repetition encodes numbers and rankings: three identical words with an arrow on the first reads top …; two of something can just mean two, double or pair.
Letter math. Crossed-out or added letters rebuild the word: CAKE − C + L = LAKE. If a letter looks deliberately wrong, it probably is — swap it and listen.
Homophones do the heavy lifting. A bee is be, an eye is I, the number 4 is for, a knot is not. When a picture makes no sense literally, trust its sound instead.
Color counts. A word printed in red can add red; blue letters can put the phrase in the blue. If the puzzle bothered to color something, it is rarely decoration.
Zoom out before you give up. Some rebuses only click when you read the whole scene as one action — a man drawn over the word “board” isn’t “man” + “board”, it’s man overboard. Ask: what is happening here, in one phrase?

Worked example #1: position

Rebus worked example: the word STAND positioned above the letter I — reads I UNDERSTAND — Step by step: the elements are “I” and “stand”. Where is the I? *Under* “stand”. Say it: I‑under‑stand → **I UNDERSTAND**.

Worked example #2: reading the whole scene

Rebus worked example: the word READ placed between two drawn lines — reads READ BETWEEN THE LINES — The word “READ” sits *between* two lines. Position (trick #2) plus zooming out (trick #9): **READ BETWEEN THE LINES**.

Bonus: solving the cryptogram part

In Rebus Master and the free daily rebus, reading the picture is half the job — you then type the phrase into a letter grid where tiles sharing a number hide the same letter. A few code-breaker habits help:

Start with the short words. Two- and three-letter words in English are a tiny club: THE, A, OF, TO, IN, IS, ON. Crack one and its numbers unlock letters everywhere else on the board.
Trust letter frequency. E, T, A, O, I, N appear most. A number that shows up all over the board is rarely a Q.
Use the revealed letters as anchors. Each puzzle starts with a few tiles open. Look at what they force: “_HE” after a three-letter gap is practically shouting.
Spend hints late, not early. A hint that reveals a letter is worth most on the rare letter you truly can’t deduce — not on the E you’d have found anyway.

Practice makes it click

Theory only gets you so far — rebus reading is a reflex you build by solving. Warm up on 40 rebus puzzles with answers, then test yourself against today’s daily rebus: one free puzzle, three mistakes allowed, streak on the line. And if figurative phrases are your weak spot, drill them with our idiom puzzles.

Up next Rebus puzzles with answers 40 illustrated warm-ups to practice the tricks on →

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About this guide: written by the Favo Games team, the studio behind Rebus Master. We’ve designed and illustrated 1,300+ rebus levels — the nine tricks above are the exact patterns we use when building them. Illustrations are AI-assisted; every puzzle, hint and answer is written and checked by hand.