How to Create a Cryptogram

Creating cryptograms can be great fun for young and old alike. Cryptograms can creatively occupy bored children on a rainy day. They can also test the analytical skills of the more mature crowd. All it takes is a message and an alphabet. Here's how to have fun creating and deciphering cryptograms.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide what type of alphabet to create. You can create an alphabet that consists of letters, numbers, pictures, symbols or a combination thereof. The type of alphabet you create depends largely on the age group and skill level of the person deciphering the message.

2. Create a message. Beginners should use short messages. The message can contain the appropriate spacing and punctuation. For the more advanced cryptographers, create longer messages that include several sentences or even paragraphs.

3. Share the alphabet. In order for someone to decipher the message, he must learn or reference your encrypted alphabet.

4. Send an encrypted message. Make a game of it. Give your friends and family each a copy of the encrypted message. Let them compete to see who breaks the code first.

Tips & Warnings

• For the very advanced, don't provide an alphabet. Make the recipient decipher the cryptogram by using language rules. For example, if she knows that E is the most commonly occurring letter in your native language, she can begin by defining each letter "E." She must dust off her elementary school books on grammar and spelling in order to break the code. This method is much more difficult to decipher, and only the most skilled cryptographers should use it.