Caesar Ciphers are also known as Shift Ciphers — yes, you guessed it, the alphabet is shifted along by a set amount to create the cipher. This is an encryption method that was used by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, hence the name. Once you’ve figured out a few letters, you can easily write out the rest of the encrypted alphabet, and read the cryptogram.
Caesar ciphers are like substitution ciphers. So the standard tricks, like looking for the most frequent letter and recurring words, can also help you solve these puzzles.
You can find more tips on how to crack cryptograms on the Cracking Codes & Cryptograms For Dummies Cheat Sheet.
Easy Caesar Cipher 1. Remember that longer ciphers are much easier to decrypt than short ones!
KYV MVIP NFIU “JVTIVTP” ZJ IVGLXEREK ZE R WIVV REU FGVE JFTZVKP; REU NV RIV RJ R GVFGCV ZEYVIVEKCP REU YZJKFIZTRCCP FGGFJVU KF JVTIVK JFTZVKZVJ, KF JVTIVK FRKYJ REU KF JVTIVK GIFTVVUZEXJ. NV UVTZUVU CFEX RXF KYRK KYV UREXVIJ FW VOTVJJZMV REU LENRIIREKVU TFETVRCDVEK FW GVIKZEVEK WRTKJ WRI FLKNVZXYVU KYV UREXVIJ NYZTY RIV TZKVU KF ALJKZWP ZK. AFYE W BVEEVUP
Easy Caesar Cipher 2. Decipher this cryptogram to discover the secrets of Freemasonry!
LZWJW SJW “GMLOSJV” KWUJWLK: VWLSADK GX JALMSD SFV KAYFK GX JWUGYFALAGF, DACW HSKKOGJVK SFV ZSFVKZSCWK. LZWJW SJW SDKG “AFOSJV,” GJ HWJKGFSD, KWUJWLK, DACW LZW WPHWJAWFUW GX HSKKAFY LZJGMYZ S JALMSD AFALASLAGF, GJ OZSL S ESF DWSJFK STGML ZAEKWDX LZJGMYZ TWAFY S ESKGF.
Easy Caesar Cipher 3. The last words of an infamous Revolutionary War character, just before he was hanged for spying:
OCLQT CPFTG YCU JCPIGF YJKNG YGCTKPI VJG HWNN-FTGUU WPKHQTO QH C DTKVKUJ QHHKEGT. JKU NCUV YQTFU YGTG, “K RTCA AQW DGCT OG YKVPGUU VJCV K OGV OA HCVG NKMG C DTCXG OCP.”
Easy Caesar Cipher 4.Crack this cipher to find out what Freemasons do:
SGYUTY IUTJAIZ XOZAGRY UL OTOZOGZOUT. ZNKE KTMGMK OT INGXOZE CUXQ. ZNKE MKZ ZUMKZNKX LUXSGRRE LUX HAYOTKYY SKKZOTMY, GTJ OTLUXSGRRE LUX YUIOGROFOTM. ZNKE JU MUUJ OT ZNK CUXRJ, ULZKT OT YKIXKZ. (G HGM UL MXUIKXOKY COTJY AV UT ZNK COJUC'Y JUUXYZKV, ZNGZ YUXZ UL ZNOTM.) ZNKE YZAJE GTJ VUTJKX SGYUTOI VNORUYUVNE GTJ NOYZUXE. ZNGZ, VRAY ZNKE'XK ULZKT YTGVVE JXKYYKXY.
Easy Caesar Cipher 5. This is an unusual quote - some of the single letter words are not A or I! Two men exchange the password during the first degree of initiation into the Knights of the Golden Circle, Confederate sympathizers:
CSY AMPP WEC, “H”; LI AMPP WEC, “E”; CSY AMPP WEC, “Z”; LI AMPP WEC, “M”; CSY AMPP WEC, “W.” “HEZMW” MW XLI TEWWASVH XS XLI JMVWX HIKVII. [RSXI: NIJJIVWSR HEZMW AEW TVIWMHIRX SJ XLI GSRJIHIVEGC.]