Instruction: In a certain code language, Greek letters are used to represent English letters in a consistent manner. Based on the given coded words, determine the correct English decoding of the target sequence using the same letter-to-letter substitution pattern. If φ α ν τ α σ is coded as FANTASY, λ α β ε λ is coded as LABEL, Question: Then what does λ φ α ν τ α represent?

Correct — A.
Rule: each Greek letter stands for one English letter, the same everywhere.

From FANTASY: φ = F, α = A, ν = N, τ = T.
From LABEL: λ = L, and α = A again.

λ φ α ν τ α → L, F, A, N, T, A = LFANTA → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

• (b)
  LFANTY — Y is the last letter of FANTASY, but the target ends with α, which is A. No symbol in the target stands for Y.
• (c)
  LFANTE — E is ε, taken from LABEL. The target's last symbol is α, which both code words give as A.
• (d)
  LFANTS — S is σ, the last symbol of φ α ν τ α σ. The target stops at α, one symbol before σ.

A symbol code is a dictionary: line each coded word up with its English word, letter by letter, and read off the pairs. A symbol that appears in both words, here α = A, confirms the mapping.

This code also follows sound: φ (phi) is F, ν (nu) is N, τ (tau) is T, λ (lambda) is L, β (beta) is B and ε (epsilon) is E.

Key facts

• φ α ν τ decodes to F A N T, and λ α β ε λ to L A B E L.
• Greek ν (nu) is N here, though it looks like an English v.
• The Greek alphabet opens alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon.

Common traps

• Reading ν (nu) as the English letter v because of its shape
• Adding Y because the decoded letters look like the start of FANTASY

No directly related past PYQ was found.