# What kind of message is the Dorabella note? · Dorabella cipher > Five answers have been proposed. English in Elgar's alphabet with irregularities (phonetic spelling, abbreviations, private words, mirrored… leads, with… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/questions/QST0CRZARBY7QFA/what-kind-of-message-is-the-dorabella-note Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:57:19+00:00 --- **0** # What kind of message is the Dorabella note? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·5 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: english in Elgar's alphabet with irregularities (phonetic spelling, abbreviations, private words, mirrored…** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Five answers have been proposed. English in Elgar's alphabet with irregularities (phonetic spelling, abbreviations, private words, mirrored… leads, with evidence 3 for: partly supported by its tests. Four are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters Every attempt starts from an assumption about what the symbols encode. The computational studies of 2018 to 2023 have narrowed the options, and the question tree should follow them⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGSR16WS/experimental-analysis-of-the-dorabella-cipher-with)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAHH64CP5/dorabella-unmasced-the-dorabella-cipher-is-not-an-english-or)⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGHY464C/examining-the-dorabella-cipher-with-three-lesser-known). ## Answers 5 [**English in Elgar's alphabet with irregularities (phonetic spelling, abbreviations, private words, mirrored…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/answers/ANS0CRZAT2M44CC/english-in-elgars-alphabet-with-irregularities-phonetic) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 3 for Most likely [**A plain monoalphabetic substitution of ordinary English, one symbol per letter, read line by line.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/answers/ANS0CRZAS3C3Q44/a-plain-monoalphabetic-substitution-of-ordinary-english-one) Failed a test; not refuted outright Evidence: 1 for, 2 against Disputed [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/answers/ANS0CRZAW8Y3D5R/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible [**The note encodes a melody, the eight orientations standing for notes and the arc count for a modifier.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/answers/ANS0CRZAV1W1DBK/the-note-encodes-a-melody-the-eight-orientations-standing) Failed a test; not refuted outright Evidence: 1 against Disputed [**The note is a joke made to look like a cipher and carries no recoverable message.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/answers/ANS0CRZAVHG2KNR/the-note-is-a-joke-made-to-look-like-a-cipher-and-carries-no) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Still possible ## History 1. 1937[Powell: dora said Elgar never explained it, and he loved puzzles that teased.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAG2A7KEB/edward-elgar-memories-of-a-variation)For: The note is a joke made to look like a cipher and carries no recoverable message. 1. 1970[Sams puts forward: a plain monoalphabetic substitution of ordinary English, one symbol per letter, read line by line.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGA45BG6/elgars-cipher-letter-to-dorabella) 1. 2018[Schmeh: symbol frequencies resemble those of a short English text.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGHY464C/examining-the-dorabella-cipher-with-three-lesser-known)For: A plain monoalphabetic substitution of ordinary English, one symbol per letter, read line by line. 1. 2021[Hauer et al. puts forward: english in Elgar's alphabet with irregularities (phonetic spelling, abbreviations, private words, mirrored…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGSR16WS/experimental-analysis-of-the-dorabella-cipher-with) 1. 2021[Hauer et al. puts forward: the note is a joke made to look like a cipher and carries no recoverable message.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGSR16WS/experimental-analysis-of-the-dorabella-cipher-with) 1. 2021[Hauer et al.: several solvers fail on Dorabella while solving 87-letter English controls.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGSR16WS/experimental-analysis-of-the-dorabella-cipher-with)Against: A plain monoalphabetic substitution of ordinary English, one symbol per letter, read line by line. 1. 2021[Hauer et al.: ciphertext language identification ranks English as the most likely language.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGSR16WS/experimental-analysis-of-the-dorabella-cipher-with)For: English in Elgar's alphabet with irregularities (phonetic spelling, abbreviations, private words, mirrored… 1. 2021[Hauer et al.: character-model classifiers assign higher probability to English than to Bach or Elgar music.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGSR16WS/experimental-analysis-of-the-dorabella-cipher-with)Against: The note encodes a melody, the eight orientations standing for notes and the arc count for a modifier. 1. 2021[Hauer et al.: the excess of mirrored pairs is unlikely by chance, which the authors read as evidence against a hoax.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAGSR16WS/experimental-analysis-of-the-dorabella-cipher-with)Against: The note is a joke made to look like a cipher and carries no recoverable message. 1. 2023[Wase: algorithms that solve English and Latin substitutions of Dorabella's length fail on it.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CRZAHH64CP5/dorabella-unmasced-the-dorabella-cipher-is-not-an-english-or)Against: A plain monoalphabetic substitution of ordinary English, one symbol per letter, read line by line. 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/questions/QST0CRZARBY7QFA/what-kind-of-message-is-the-dorabella-note%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/questions/QST0CRZARBY7QFA/what-kind-of-message-is-the-dorabella-note%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/questions/QST0CRZARBY7QFA/what-kind-of-message-is-the-dorabella-note%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/questions/QST0CRZARBY7QFA/what-kind-of-message-is-the-dorabella-note%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/questions/QST0CRZARBY7QFA/what-kind-of-message-is-the-dorabella-note%23add-source) Where it fits Dorabella cipher **What kind of message is the Dorabella note?** Key question · you're here [Is any published decipherment correct?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dorabella-cipher/questions/QST0CRZARVJ7VVV/is-any-published-decipherment-correct)Partly answered · 0 of 3 ruled out [ Ask a question under this one ]