Atbash

Substitution Cipher

The Atbash cipher is a substitution cipher that operates by replacing each letter of the alphabet with its respective "opposite" letter. It is one of the simplest and oldest known ciphers.

In the Atbash cipher:

  • The first letter of the alphabet ('A') is replaced with the last letter ('Z').
  • The second letter ('B') is replaced with the second-to-last letter ('Y').
  • This pattern continues for each letter, with each letter being replaced by its counterpart in the reverse order of the alphabet.

The Atbash cipher follows a symmetric pattern, where the encryption and decryption process are the same. Applying the Atbash cipher twice on a piece of text will restore the original message.

For example, let's encrypt the word "HELLO" using the Atbash cipher:

H -> S
E -> V
L -> O
L -> O
O -> L

So, "HELLO" would be encrypted as "SVOOL" using the Atbash cipher.

To decrypt an Atbash-encrypted message, you simply apply the cipher again, reversing the substitution process.

The Atbash cipher can be applied to the entire alphabet, including both uppercase and lowercase letters. Non-alphabetic characters such as numbers or punctuation marks are typically left unchanged.

It's important to note that the Atbash cipher is a relatively weak encryption method and provides minimal security. It was primarily used in ancient times when cryptographic techniques were in their early stages or for simple encoding purposes.


Atbash Table

  • A

    Z
  • B

    Y
  • C

    X
  • D

    W
  • E

    V
  • F

    U
  • G

    T
  • H

    S
  • I

    R
  • J

    Q
  • K

    P
  • L

    O
  • M

    N
  • N

    M
  • O

    L
  • P

    K
  • Q

    J
  • R

    I
  • S

    H
  • T

    G
  • U

    F
  • V

    E
  • W

    D
  • X

    C
  • Y

    B
  • Z

    A

Share