School Rocks!

Reverse the words                   Back to Code Choices

A very easy code to crack! Just read each word backwards.

Example:
"BE PREPARED!" in code is "EB DERAPEP!"

Read every second letter             Back to Code Choices

This one is another code for smart Cubs to solve.

Read every second letter starting at the first letter, and when you finish, start again on the letters you missed the first time!

Example:

"ROBERT BADEN POWELL" in code is "REONBPEORWTEBLALD"

Code Stick             Back to Code Choices      

To make a code on a code stick, you need a long strip of paper, and a walking stick or a broomstick.

First you wind the strip of paper tightly around the broomstick.

Then you write your message all the way down the stick (you can write it on several lines).

When you unwind the message, no-one can read it unless they have the same stick as you! But if they have the stick, they can read the message just by winding the strip of paper around it again.

Numbers stand for letters          Back to Code Choices     

This is a very easy code to solve! Each number stands for a letter.

1 stands for A
2 stands for B
3 stands for C

and so on.

So if I tell you the number is 10, you count ten letters into the alphabet:
"A B C D E F G H I J", and you get a J.

To help solve this code a bit quicker, you can write out the whole alphabet, and then write out the numbers from 1 to 26 below each letter.

Now, whenever you see a number, you can either count that many letters, or look up the number and write down the letter above it.

Example:

I love you = 9 12 15 22 5 25 15 21

Invisible Ink                    Back to Code Choices

Have you ever written a message using invisible ink?

You can easily make your own ink to do this. It's quite easy! All you need is some milk from the fridge, and you can write on a piece of paper using a fine paint brush or a cotton swab.

While the milk is still wet, you can easily read it because it is still shiny, but once it is dry no-one can tell that it's there at all.

To read the secret message, you have to heat up the page. You can do this over a candle, but be very careful you don't let the paper catch on fire! Do it outside, and have some water nearby, just in case. You can also do it by putting the paper in a warm oven for a few minutes. Be careful! If the oven is too hot, the paper might catch on fire and you'll lose your message!

You can also use lemon juice as invisible ink.

Reverse the alphabet                Back to Code Choices

In this code, each letter in the code stands for a different "real" letter.

A stands for Z
B stands for Y
C stands for X

and so on.

To help solve this code, first write out the alphabet, and then write out the alphabet in reverse below it:

Now, whenever you see an A you look it up in the first alphabet, and translate it into a Z because the Z is directly under the A.

Example:

SCOUT = HXLFG

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Half-reversed alphabet                    Back to Code Choices

Here you can use the same alphabet for coding and decoding, so it saves you some writing!

A stands for N, and N stands for A
B stands for O, and O stands for B
C stands for P, and P stands for C
and so on.

Just write out the letters from A to M, and write the letters from N to Z directly below them.

Example:

SCOUT = FPBHG

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Codeword                    Back to Code Choices

You can make a code based on a special code word which only you know about. We've chosen the word "XYLOPHONE". So first of all we write down the normal alphabet (it's called the Plain Text alphabet), and below it we write the Code alphabet, starting with the codeword, and following the codeword with the rest of the alphabet.

But there's a trick to this - remember that you don't want repeated letters! So you have to leave out the seond O in XYLOPHONE, and when you get to the normal alphabet you write down ABCDFGI... leaving out the E, the H, and any other letters in the codeword.

So here's what the alphabet looks like when you're finished:

When you're solving this code, remember to look up the letter in the Code alphabet. So the letter S is decoded as U, because U is above S.

Example:

QLISR is decoded as SCOUT

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Sliding scale (Cryptograph)       Back to Code Choices  

Slide the alphabet along by a certain number of letters, e.g. 1 letter:

Example:
SCOUT = TDPVU

You can make a special Cryptograph Wheel to solve cryptographs (see the picture!) First make two circles of carboard, one a bit smaller than the other, and use a protractor to mark them off into 26 pieces of about 13.8 degrees each. Write one letter of the alphabet in each division on each wheel.

Then attach the two wheels together using a split pin so that you can rotate them independently.

Now if you want to solve a cryptograph where the alphabet slides along by 3 places, just rotate the wheel so that A is opposite the C, and then you can read the code letters off the wheel.

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Morse Code          Back to Code Choices

Morse Code is just a simple substitution code like all the others!

Morse Code is sometimes written with a slash (/) between letters, to stop you from getting the letters confused. A double slash (//) means a break between words.

Example:
SOS = .../---/...

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Block cipher          Back to Code Choices

We write the message in a rectangular block, one row at a ime, and then read off the columns.

Example:

The coded message looks like this: TSE HVA IES SRY IY!

To decode it, we just write all the code words in a block again, as columns, and then read the message across the rows.

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Paragraph-word-letter       Back to Code Choices  

This type of code needs to refer to a specific piece of text, for instance the first page of your Scout handbook, or the front page article on today's newspaper. Each triple of numbers gives which number paragraph, word and letter to use.

For instance, if this explanation is used to solve the code, 1.3.2 would mean the first paragraph (above) third word (of) second letter (F). And 2.5.1 would refer to the second paragraph (this one), 5th word (used), first letter (U).

Once you're started, it's easy:

Example:
1.5.5   2.2.7   1.4.2   2.8.2   1.1.1 = SCOUT

Sometimes the code will refer to whole words instead of letters:

Example:
1.1   1.4   2.6   1.9   3.5 = "This code is easy"

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Random Cipher or Cryptogram      Back to Code Choices   

(much more difficult!)

One type of substitution cipher isn't so simple. Sometimes the code alphabet will be in random order, and you won't be given any clue to solve the code at all! You'll have to be quite smart to crack this problem.

Example:

QAFWKA   J   CZ   UFQ   UCQWECDDM   AFURTQ,   J   CZ   TF   TFZRQJZRT   IM   PACUPR.  
VJDDJCZ   TACBRTNRCER

(Before we work it out, maybe you would like to take a look at these Tips on solving Cryptograms.)

Well, first of all we have a word J, which must be either I or A. Could it be A? Well, it's followed by a two-letter word J CZ. There aren't many two-letter words that can fit after an A, so think about I instead. Hmmmm.... `I AM'! Of course.

So now we have J=I, C=A, Z=M. Let's fill them in:

QAFWKA   i   am   UFQ   UaQWEaDDM   AFURTQ,   i   am   TF   TFZRQimRT   IM   PAaUPR.
ViDDiam   TAaBRTNRaER.

Now think hard about those last two long words. `ViDDiam'. It looks like a name. Take a wild guess. Could it be? Yes, of course! WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

Now you're almost finished! You've got another 8 letters:

QhFWKh i am UFQ UaQWrallM hFUesQ, i am sF sFZeQimes IM PhaUPe.
william shakespeare.

Now look at words which are almost complete. `sFZeQimes' and 'sF' are a good place to start...

In fact it's so simple from here that I think you can solve it for yourself!

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Tips on Solving Random Cipher or Cryptogram

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Here are some tips to help you on your way with cryptograms:

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An old English puzzle          Back to Code Choices

A really tough one!          Back to Code Choices