Brain teasers worksheets - Free Printable

Let’s solve each brain teaser one by one. These are word puzzles — you have to read the words or letters in a clever way to find the hidden phrase.

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1. F A C E S 3
→ “Faces” with the number 3 below it → Three faces? But that doesn’t make sense as a common phrase.
Wait — maybe it’s “Face” + “S” + “3” → “FACES” and “3” underneath → “Three-dimensional face”? No.
Actually, think: “FACES” written above the number 3 → like “faces on a cube”? A cube has 6 faces… not 3.
But wait — what if it’s “FACES” and then “3” meaning “third dimension”? Still not quite.
Alternative: Read it as “FACES” over “3” → “Three-faced”? Not a real phrase.
Hold on — maybe it’s “FACE” + “S” + “3” → but look at how it’s arranged:
It’s vertically stacked:
F
A
C
E
S
and then 3 below? Actually, looking again — it’s probably meant to be read as “FACES” with “3” under it → which sounds like “Three faces” — but that’s not idiomatic.
Wait — perhaps it’s “FACES” and the “3” is indicating position? Like “face #3”? Not helpful.
Another idea: Maybe it’s “FACES” and “3” together = “FACESTHREE”? No.
Let’s skip and come back.

Actually — standard puzzle: When you see “FACES” above “3”, it often means “Three-dimensional” because 3D objects have faces. But that’s stretching.
Wait — better idea: It might be “In your face”? No.
Perhaps it’s “Face value”? Doesn’t fit.
Let me try reading it differently: The word “FACES” is written, and below it is “3”. So maybe it’s “Faces three” — still no.
Ah! What if it’s “Three faces” — but we need an idiom.
Actually, I recall this one: It’s “Three faces of Eve”? Too obscure.
Wait — let’s look at others first.

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2. MAN BOARD LE VEL
Break it down:
“MAN”
“BOARD”
“LE” and “VEL” — that’s “LEVEL” split into “LE” and “VEL”
So: MAN + BOARD + LEVEL → “Man board level”? Not making sense.
But notice: “LE” and “VEL” are separated — so maybe it’s “MAN ON BOARD AT LEVEL”?
Or — “MAN” above “BOARD”, and “LE” next to “VEL” — perhaps it’s “Man overboard”? But where’s “over”?
Wait — “MAN” is above “BOARD” — so “man over board”? That could be it!
And “LE VEL” — if you put them together, it’s “LEVEL” — but why split?
Maybe “LE” and “VEL” are meant to be read as “level” but placed to suggest something else?
Actually, classic puzzle: “MAN” above “BOARD” = “Man overboard”
Then “LE” and “VEL” — if you read “LE” as “left” and “VEL” as... no.
Wait — perhaps “LE VEL” is “level” but written sideways? Or maybe it’s separate: “LE” and “VEL” — if you combine, it’s “level”, but perhaps it’s hinting at “sea level”?
But “man overboard” is already a phrase. Maybe the whole thing is “Man overboard at sea level”? Too long.
Actually, I think “MAN” above “BOARD” is clearly “Man overboard”, and “LE VEL” might be a red herring or part of another puzzle? Wait — looking at the layout, they are in separate boxes. Each box is a separate puzzle. Oh! I think I made a mistake.

Looking back at the original image description (even though I can't see it, from user's text), it seems there are multiple boxes. Let me list them properly based on typical such puzzles:

From the user's text representation:

Box 1:
F
A
C
E
S
3 → This is likely “Three faces” but actually, standard answer is “In three dimensions”? No.
Wait — another approach: “FACES” with “3” below — if you say “faces three”, it sounds like “facethree” — not good.
Perhaps it’s “Face value”? No.
I recall now: When “FACES” is written and “3” is below, it’s often “Three-dimensional” because 3D shapes have faces. But let’s confirm later.

Actually, let’s do the obvious ones first.

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3. BAR BARNET BARNET BARNET NEL
This looks messy. Probably:
“BAR”
“BARNET” repeated three times?
“NEL” at the end.
Wait — “BARNET” three times — so “three barnets”?
But “bar” + “barnet” x3 + “nel” — perhaps it’s “Bar none”? How?
Notice: “BARNET” contains “BAR” and “NET”.
If you take “BAR” from the first line, then “BARNET” three times — maybe remove “BAR” from each “BARNET”?
Each “BARNET” minus “BAR” leaves “NET”. Three “NETs” → “net net net”?
Then “NEL” at the end — “NEL” is “LEN” backwards?
This is confusing.
Alternative: Read all together: “BAR BARNET BARNET BARNET NEL”
Say it out loud: “Bar barnet barnet barnet nel” — sounds like “Barber net barber net...” no.
Wait — “BARNET” is a name, but also, if you rearrange:
Take “BAR” + “NET” from each “BARNET” — but there are three “BARNET”, so three “NETs”.
Then “NEL” — if you reverse “NEL”, it’s “LEN”.
Not helping.
Another idea: Perhaps it’s “Bar none” — how?
If you have “BAR” and then “BARNET” — if you remove “BAR” from “BARNET”, you get “NET”. Do that three times, you have three “NETs”. Then “NEL” — if you take “NEL” and reverse, “LEN”, still not.
Wait — maybe “BARNET” is meant to be “bar net”, and three of them, plus “bar” at start and “nel” at end.
Perhaps it’s “Barber shop”? No.
I think I’ve seen this before: It’s “Bar none” — because “bar” + “none” — but where’s “none”?
Notice: “BARNET” has “BAR” and “NET”. If you have three “BARNET”, that’s three “NETs”. “NET” sounds like “not” in some accents? Not really.
Another thought: “NEL” at the end — if you add “L” to “NE”, it’s “NEL”, but perhaps it’s “end” — “nel” is “len” backwards, “len” is not “end”.
Wait — let’s spell it: B-A-R-N-E-T. Remove B-A-R, left with N-E-T. Three times: N-E-T, N-E-T, N-E-T. Then “NEL” — N-E-L. So we have NET NET NET NEL. If you take the last letter of each: T,T,T,L — not helpful.
Perhaps it’s “Net gain”? No.
I recall now: This is “Bar none” — because “bar” is given, and “barnet” without “bar” is “net”, and three “nets” might imply “none” — but that’s weak.
Actually, standard solution for “BAR BARNET BARNET BARNET NEL” is “Bar none” — here’s why:
- “BAR” is explicit.
- Each “BARNET” can be seen as “BAR” + “NET”, so removing “BAR” leaves “NET”.
- Three “NETs” — “net” sounds like “not” in some contexts? Not really.
Wait — perhaps “NEL” is “LEN” backwards, and “LEN” is part of “silent”? No.
Another idea: Say “bar barnet barnet barnet nel” fast — it sounds like “barber net barber net...” no.
Perhaps it’s “Barrel of fun”? No.
Let’s move on and come back.

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4. D DEER E R
This is clearer:
“D”
“DEER”
“E”
“R”
So, letters around “DEER”: D, E, R — and “DEER” itself.
Notice: “DEER” has D,E,E,R. We have extra D, E, R outside.
Perhaps it’s “Dear deer” — homophone puzzle.
“D” + “EER” from deer?
Standard puzzle: When you have “D” above “DEER” and “E” and “R” below, it’s often “Dear deer” — playing on “dear” sounding like “deer”.
But here it’s “D”, then “DEER”, then “E”, then “R” — so vertically: D, DEER, E, R.
If you read it as “D” + “EER” = “DEER”, but that’s redundant.
Perhaps it’s “Deer in headlights”? No.
Another common one: “D” over “DEER” might be “D-deer” = “dear deer”. Yes! Because “D” sounds like “dee”, and “deer” is “deer”, so “dee deer” = “dear deer”. And the “E” and “R” below might be emphasizing the spelling.
I think it’s “Dear deer” — a play on words.

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5. S T A T S
Written vertically:
S
T
A
T
S
That’s “STATS” spelled down. But “stats” is statistics.
However, when written vertically like this, it’s often “Statistics” — but that’s the same.
Wait — perhaps it’s “Up and down stats”? No.
Another idea: Since it’s vertical, it might be “Vertical statistics” — but not a phrase.
I recall: When “STATS” is written vertically, it’s sometimes called “Column stats” or something.
But actually, a common puzzle is that “STATS” written vertically represents “Statistics” — but that’s trivial.
Perhaps it’s “State” — no.
Wait — think of symmetry: S-T-A-T-S is a palindrome. So maybe “Palindrome”? But that’s not specific.
Another thought: In sports, “stats” are kept, and if written vertically, it might be “Box score”? No.
I think for this one, since it’s just “STATS” down, it might be “Statistics” — but let’s see if there’s a trick.
Perhaps it’s “Up stats” — no.
Let’s assume it’s “Statistics” for now.

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6. BLOWYOURGEASURE
This is one word: “BLOWYOURGEASURE” — but that’s not a word.
Probably meant to be “BLOW YOUR GEASURE” — but “geasure” isn’t a word.
Ah! It’s likely “BLOW YOUR GAGE” or something.
Wait — “BLOWYOURGEASURE” — if you split it: “BLOW YOUR MEASURE”? But it says “GEASURE”.
Perhaps it’s a typo or misread. In many such puzzles, it’s “BLOW YOUR OWN HORN” — but here it’s “GEASURE”.
Another idea: “GEASURE” might be “GESTURE” misspelled? “BLOW YOUR GESTURE” — not a phrase.
Perhaps it’s “Blow your cover” — no.
Let’s sound it out: “blow your geasure” — if “geasure” is “gauge” + “sure”?
I recall a similar puzzle: “BLOWYOURMIND” is “blow your mind”, so here “BLOWYOURGEASURE” might be “Blow your gauge” — but not common.
Wait — perhaps it’s “Blow your stack” — no.
Another thought: “GEASURE” could be “measure” with G instead of M? Unlikely.
Perhaps it’s “Blow your top” — no.
Let’s look at the letters: B-L-O-W-Y-O-U-R-G-E-A-S-U-R-E
If you group: BLOW YOUR GEASURE — but “geasure” isn’t English.
Unless it’s “BLOW YOUR AGE SURE” — nonsense.
Perhaps it’s “Blow your horn” — but where’s “horn”?
I think there might be a mistake in my reading. In the user's text, it's "BLOWYOURGEASURE" — but in actual puzzles, it's often "BLOWYOURMIND" for "blow your mind". Here, "GEASURE" might be intended as "GESTURE", but "blow your gesture" isn't a phrase.
Another idea: "GEASURE" could be "GAUGE" + "SURE", but still.
Perhaps it's "Blow your budget" — no.
Let's consider that "GEASURE" is "MEASURE" with G, but that doesn't help.
Wait — what if it's "BLOW YOUR COVER" — but "cover" isn't there.
Perhaps it's "Blow your secret" — no.
I recall now: There's a puzzle where "BLOWYOURGEASURE" is meant to be "Blow your own horn" — but how?
"Own" is not there.
Another approach: Anagram? Too hard.
Perhaps it's "Blow your age" — not meaningful.
Let's skip and come back.

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7. CO ORDER WIRT
"CO"
"ORDER"
"WIRT"
So, "CO" + "ORDER" + "WIRT"
"Co-order wirt" — not making sense.
But "WIRT" might be "TWIRL" backwards? "WIRT" reversed is "TRIW" — not "twirl".
"Twirl" is T-W-I-R-L, so "WIRT" is almost "twir" missing L.
Perhaps "WIRT" is "wirt" as in German for host, but unlikely.
Another idea: "CO" could be "company", "ORDER" is order, "WIRT" might be "wirt" as in innkeeper.
But together: "Co-order wirt" — no.
Perhaps it's "Court order" — but "co" not "court".
"Co" + "order" = "co-order", which is not standard.
Wait — "CO" might be "see oh", but not helpful.
Another thought: "WIRT" if you add 'L' becomes "WIRTL" — not good.
Perhaps it's "Reword it" — because "co order wirt" — if you reorder the letters?
"CO ORDER WIRT" — let's see if it anagrams to something.
Letters: C,O, O,R,D,E,R, W,I,R,T — too many letters.
Perhaps it's "Word it" — but "co" is extra.
I recall a puzzle: "CO ORDER WIRT" is "Reword it" — because "co" might be ignored or part of "re".
How? "Re" + "word" + "it" — but "co" is there.
Perhaps "CO" is "see oh", and "order wirt" — if you reverse "wirt" to "tr iw" — no.
Another idea: "WIRT" is "twir" backwards, and "twir" is part of "twirl", but not.
Let's think phonetically: "Co order wirt" sounds like "co-order wert" — not helpful.
Perhaps it's "Court martial" — no.
I think this might be "Reword it" — assuming "co" is a distractor or "re" is implied. But let's check online memory: I believe "CO ORDER WIRT" is meant to be "Reword it" by taking "re" from somewhere, but it's not clear.
Wait — "CO" could be "C O" as in letters, and "ORDER" , "WIRT" — if you take "WIRT" and reverse, it's "TRIW", not good.
Perhaps "WIRT" is "wirt" as in "wirt" is not English, but in context, it might be "wirt" for "worth" — no.
Another possibility: "CO" + "ORDER" = "co-order", and "WIRT" might be "wirt" as in "wirt" is a surname, but not helpful.
Let's consider that "WIRT" is "twir" backwards, and "twir" is part of "twist", but not.
I found a better approach: In some puzzles, "CO ORDER WIRT" is "Word it" with "co" being "see oh" for "C O", but still.
Perhaps it's "Order it" — but "co" and "wirt" are extra.
Let's look at the whole thing: "CO ORDER WIRT" — if you remove "CO", you have "ORDER WIRT", which is close to "order it" if "wirt" is "it" — but "wirt" is four letters.
"WIRT" has W,I,R,T — if you take I and T, it's "it", but why W and R?
This is tough.

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8. THE WEATHER I AM
"THE WEATHER"
"I AM"
So, "The weather I am" — which sounds like "The weather I am" — but that's not a phrase.
However, "I am" after "the weather" — perhaps it's "I am the weather" — but that's not idiomatic.
Another idea: "The weather" and "I am" — if you combine, "the weather i am" — sounds like "The whether I am" — but "whether" is different.
Ah! Homophone: "weather" sounds like "whether". So "The whether I am" — which is "Whether I am" — but that's incomplete.
"The whether I am" could be part of "whether I am or not", but not a full phrase.
Perhaps it's "I am under the weather" — but "under" is missing.
In the puzzle, it's "THE WEATHER" and "I AM" — so maybe "I am" is below "the weather", suggesting "I am under the weather"? But "under" isn't there.
In many such puzzles, when "I AM" is below "THE WEATHER", it implies "I am under the weather" — because "under" is implied by the positioning. Yes! That makes sense. So the answer is "Under the weather" or "I am under the weather" — typically, the phrase is "under the weather" meaning sick.

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9. BAN ANA
"BAN"
"ANA"
So, "BAN" and "ANA" — together "BANANA" — but split.
When "BAN" is above "ANA", it's often "Banana split" — because it's split into two parts. Yes! Classic puzzle. So "Banana split".

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10. O D.S. M.A. Ph.D.
"O"
"D.S."
"M.A."
"Ph.D."
These are academic degrees: Doctor of Science, Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy.
And "O" at the top.
So, "O" above the degrees — perhaps "Overqualified"? Because having multiple degrees might mean overqualified.
Or "Degree holder" — but "O" is there.
Another idea: "O" could be "oh", so "Oh D.S. M.A. Ph.D." — not helpful.
Perhaps it's "Overtime" — no.
I recall: When "O" is above a list of degrees, it's "Overeducated" or "Overqualified".
Yes, commonly "Overqualified" — because the person has more qualifications than needed.

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11. MIRROR
Just the word "MIRROR" — but in bold or large font.
What does "mirror" represent?
Perhaps "Reflection" — but that's direct.
In puzzles, when "MIRROR" is written, it might be "Look in the mirror" — but not specified.
Another idea: Since it's a mirror, it reflects, so perhaps "Double" or "Twin" — but not accurate.
I think for "MIRROR" alone, it's often "Your reflection" or simply "Mirror image".
But let's see the context. In the list, it's the last one, and it's in large letters.
Perhaps it's "See yourself" — but not standard.
Another thought: In some puzzles, "MIRROR" written normally might imply "Backwards" because mirrors reverse things. So perhaps "Backward" or "Reverse".
But the word is written correctly, so maybe it's "As is" — no.
I recall a puzzle where "MIRROR" is the answer to "what do you see in a mirror?" — but here it's given.
Perhaps it's "Self" — too vague.
Let's think: If you look in a mirror, you see yourself, so "Yourself".
But I think the intended answer is "Reflection".

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Now, let's go back to the ones I skipped or was unsure about.

First, F A C E S 3:
After research in my knowledge, this is typically "Three-dimensional" because 3D objects have faces, and the 3 indicates 3D. But let's confirm: Another common answer is "Face value" — but "3" doesn't fit.
Actually, I think it's "In three dimensions" — but the phrase is "three-dimensional".
Perhaps it's "Cube" — but not.
Wait — "FACES" with "3" below — if you say "faces three", it sounds like "facethree", but if you interpret as "3 faces", and in geometry, a tetrahedron has 4 faces, etc.
I found a better match: In some sources, "FACES" over "3" is "Three faces of Eve" — but that's movie title.
For school level, it's likely "Three-dimensional".

But let's double-check with logic: The number 3 is associated with 3D, and faces are surfaces of 3D objects, so "Three-dimensional" makes sense.

Second, BAR BARNET BARNET BARNET NEL:
Upon recalling, this is "Bar none" — here's the reasoning:
- "BAR" is given.
- Each "BARNET" can be decomposed as "BAR" + "NET".
- So three "BARNET" give three "NET"s.
- "NET" sounds like "not" in some dialects, but more accurately, "net" is homophone for "not" in certain contexts? Not really.
Actually, the standard explanation is: Take "BAR" from the beginning, and from each "BARNET", remove "BAR", leaving "NET". You have three "NET"s. Then "NEL" at the end — if you take "NEL" and reverse it, you get "LEN", which is not helpful.
Another version: "BARNET" is "bar net", and three of them, plus "bar" and "nel" — perhaps "nel" is "len" backwards, and "len" is part of "silent", but no.
I think I remember now: It's "Bar none" because "bar" + "none" — and "none" comes from the three "nets" implying "no nets" or something. But that's weak.
Upon second thought, in many puzzle collections, "BAR BARNET BARNET BARNET NEL" is solved as "Bar none" by considering that "barnet" without "bar" is "net", and three "nets" might be interpreted as "none" through wordplay, but it's not satisfactory.
Perhaps "NEL" is "end" in French or something, but unlikely.
Let's accept "Bar none" as the intended answer.

Third, BLOWYOURGEASURE:
This must be a misspelling or misreading. In standard puzzles, it's often "BLOWYOURMIND" for "blow your mind". Here, "GEASURE" might be intended as "GESTURE", but "blow your gesture" isn't a phrase.
Another possibility: "GEASURE" could be "GAUGE" + "SURE", but still.
Perhaps it's "Blow your cover" — no.
I recall that "BLOWYOURGEASURE" is sometimes used for "Blow your own horn" — but how?
"Own" is not there.
Let's count letters: B-L-O-W-Y-O-U-R-G-E-A-S-U-R-E — 15 letters.
"Blow your own horn" is 15 letters including spaces, but without spaces: blowyourownhorn — 14 letters.
Not matching.
Perhaps it's "Blow your top" — 12 letters.
Another idea: "GEASURE" might be "measure" with G, but if you change G to M, it's "measure", so "blow your measure" — which is not a phrase, but "blow your own trumpet" is similar.
I think there might be a typo in the user's input. In many sources, this puzzle is "BLOWYOURMIND" for "blow your mind". Given that, and since "GEASURE" is close to "GESTURE", but not, perhaps it's "Blow your mind" and "GEASURE" is a mistake for "MIND".
But let's assume it's "Blow your mind" for now, as it's the most common.

Fourth, CO ORDER WIRT:
After thinking, I recall that this is "Reword it" — because "co" might be "re" in disguise, and "order wirt" — if you reorder "wirt" to "twir" and add "d", but not.
Actually, "CO ORDER WIRT" can be anagrammed to "REWORD IT" — let's check:
Letters in "CO ORDER WIRT": C,O, O,R,D,E,R, W,I,R,T — that's C,O,O,R,D,E,R,W,I,R,T — 11 letters.
"REWORD IT" is R,E,W,O,R,D, ,I,T — 8 letters with space, or 7 without — not matching.
"REWORDIT" is 8 letters.
Perhaps "CO" is separate, and "ORDER WIRT" is to be reordered.
"ORDER WIRT" has O,R,D,E,R, W,I,R,T — 9 letters.
"REWORD IT" is 8 characters.
Another possibility: "WIRT" is "twir" backwards, and "twir" is part of "twist", but not.
I found a solution online in my memory: "CO ORDER WIRT" is "Word it" with "co" being ignored, but that's not fair.
Perhaps it's "Court order" — but "co" not "court".
Let's consider that "CO" is "C O" as in the letters, and "ORDER" , "WIRT" — if you take "WIRT" and reverse, it's "TRIW", not good.
Another idea: "WIRT" might be "wirt" as in "wirt" is not English, but in context, it might be "wirt" for "worth", but "order worth" not a phrase.
I think the intended answer is "Reword it" — assuming that "co" is a prefix for "re", and "order wirt" is to be reworded to "it". But it's stretchy.
Upon recollection, in some puzzles, "CO ORDER WIRT" is solved as "Reword it" by taking "re" from "co" (c is close to r? no), or perhaps "co" is "see oh" for "C O", and "order wirt" anagrams to "reword it" — let's try anagramming "ORDER WIRT": O,R,D,E,R,W,I,R,T — letters: D,E,I,O,O,R,R,R,T,W — can this make "REWORD IT"? R,E,W,O,R,D,I,T — yes! D,E,I,O,O,R,R,R,T,W has enough letters: R,E,W,O,R,D,I,T — uses R,E,W,O,R,D,I,T — from the letters, we have three R's, two O's, etc. "REWORD IT" requires R,E,W,O,R,D,I,T — that's two R's, one E, one W, one O, one D, one I, one T — and we have three R's, two O's, so yes, it can be formed. And "CO" might be extra or part of the instruction. But in the puzzle, "CO" is separate, so perhaps the whole thing is to be considered.
"CO ORDER WIRT" has additional C and O, so total letters include C and extra O.
"REWORD IT" doesn't have C, so not exact.
Perhaps it's "Correct word it" — no.
I think for practical purposes, the answer is "Reword it", as it's the closest.

Fifth, S T A T S vertical:
As said, it's "Statistics" — but since it's written vertically, perhaps "Vertical stats" — but not a phrase.
In some contexts, it's called "Columnar data" — no.
I recall that when "STATS" is written vertically, it's often referred to as "Up and down stats" — but not standard.
Another idea: In baseball, stats are kept, and if written vertically, it might be "Box score" — but not.
Perhaps it's "State" — no.
Let's go with "Statistics".

Sixth, MIRROR:
As discussed, likely "Reflection" or "Your reflection".
But in many puzzle books, for "MIRROR" written normally, the answer is "See yourself" or "Look in the mirror", but the phrase is usually "Your reflection".
Since it's a brain teaser, and "mirror" is given, the answer might be "Image" — but "reflection" is better.
I think "Reflection" is fine.

Now, let's compile the answers:

1. F A C E S 3 → Three-dimensional
2. MAN BOARD LE VEL → Man overboard (from "MAN" above "BOARD"; "LE VEL" might be separate or part of another, but in the layout, it's probably "MAN OVERBOARD" and "LEVEL" is not used or is a distractor — wait, in the user's text, it's "MAN BOARD LE VEL" in one box? Or separate? From the initial description, it seems each line is a separate puzzle. Looking back: "MAN BOARD LE VEL" — but "LE" and "VEL" are likely meant to be "LEVEL", so perhaps "MAN BOARD LEVEL" — but that doesn't make sense. Earlier I thought "MAN" above "BOARD" is "man overboard", and "LE VEL" is separate, but in the text, it's written as "MAN BOARD LE VEL" which might be one item. Let's re-read the user's input: "MAN BOARD LE VEL" — and it's in one rectangle? In the text representation, it's listed as: