Number code

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Symbols Every letter becomes a sign: shapes, pigpen or animals. Number code A = 1, B = 2 … Z = 26. With optional offset and separator. Caesar Every letter moves along the alphabet. With a cipher wheel to craft. Mirror writing Real mirrored lettering. Hold a mirror next to it to read. Morse code Dots and dashes like a radio operator. A slash separates words. Backwards The text is written back to front, as a whole or word by word.

Settings

This code has no settings.

Heading on the sheet

Print a solution line for parents

Top secret

Your secret message

Type a message above and it will appear here in code.

✂ This is your A4 sheet. The cut line separates message and key.

A = 1, B = 2, C = 3

The number code is the simplest secret code of all: every letter gets its position in the alphabet. HELLO becomes 8-5-12-12-15. A slash separates words so you know where a new word starts when decoding.

Offset and separator

The offset shifts the number row: with offset 4, A is not 1 but 5. The key becomes harder to guess because 1 no longer automatically means A. As the separator between numbers you can pick dash, dot or space.

Umlauts, ß and digits

To keep the key at 26 numbers, German umlauts are written as on an English keyboard: Ä = AE, Ö = OE, Ü = UE, ß = SS. Real digits in your message – a house number, say – appear in square brackets like [3] so they can be told apart from code numbers. Punctuation stays as it is.

What the number code is good for

For early readers who can already count to 26. For maths practice: the offset turns decoding into a subtraction exercise. And for combination locks: whoever cracks “OPEN 4-1-19” knows the combination. A blank key sheet for handwriting is under Templates.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How are umlauts written in the number code?

As AE, OE, UE and SS – like on a keyboard without umlauts. The key stays at 26 numbers.

What does the offset do?

With offset 4, A is not 1 but 5, B is 6 and so on. The key becomes harder to guess.

How are real digits in the message shown?

In square brackets, for example [3], so they can be told apart from code numbers when decoding.