do blocks 4 & 5 not work? I'm trying to get the end words. I think I'm getting collisions on 4-2 & 5-3, but I don't understand how
There is a word pool for every level, so re-running the level might give you easier words (relatively speaking). Also keep in mind the in 99% the input word should be a normal English words, like “animal” or “strike”.
Some levels have ambiguity in them that can only be solved via word/letter enumeration (e.g. narrowing down the candidate list) or through the extra powers of “console” (if you already unlocked enough).
If you attach a screenshot I can take a look and maybe there is something sneaky going on.
So the QUIVBAB is a part of the compound puzzle, the out-of-level bonus unlocking thing.
The INPUT is usually an existing word to make the game significantly more realistic to beat. E.g. it would be a “DAGGER” instead of “DGRYYR”. The bonus-related unlocks are different as they may involve gibberish. They’re the ultimate challenge and they involve multi-level deciphering (and they unlock bonus levels after that!)
So even if the OUTPUT matches something, what you need to do is to find a correct INPUT, the decoded keyword.