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Codes, Decoding and Secret Messages: How codes are used, and different types of codes, including morse code, computer codes, and more.


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Backwards Alphabet Code Informational Page

The Backwards Alphabet Code is very simple. All you have to do is make a list of all the letters in the alphabet, and then make another list right next to it, of all the letters in backwards order. Kind of like this...

A = Z
B = Y
C = X
D = W

...and so on, through the alphabet. Now, when you write your message, every time you have the letter A, you replace it with a Z, when you have a letter B, you replace it with a Y.

But there's some bad news about this code. Not only is it easy to encode, it's easy to decode, too! Because all you have to do to decode it is do the process all over again! To see what I mean, type a message into the encoder and click "Encode". Now, instead of clicking "Decode", click "Encode" again. You get exactly the same message that you started with!

So don't use this code if you're worried about people finding out what you're talking about!

Decoding Tip
Would you like to know one of the methods cryptologists (people who work with codes) use to decode messages written in simple codes like this? They scan through the message and look for letters that are commonly used. Because they know that some letters are used a lot more than others. For example, the letter E is used more than any other letter in the alphabet. So if they were trying to break this code, which letter do you think they would find the most? (Hint: remember - the letter E gets replaced with another letter of the alphabet!)