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How to Encode and Decode Using the
Vigènere Cipher
Edited by Josh W., Flickety, Jonathan Thorne, Jack Herrick and 21 others

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The Vigènere cipher is a method of encryption that uses a series of different "Caesar ciphers"
based on the letters of a keyword. In a Caesar Cipher, each letter in the passage is moved a
certain number of letters over, to be replaced by the corresponding letter. For example, this would
mean that in a Caesar cipher shift of three: A would become D; B would become E; C would
become F etc. A Vigènere cipher builds on this method by using multiple Caesar ciphers at
different points in the message; this article shows you how to use it.

Related Articles
Steps Edit
Write in Skip a Letter Code

Create a Stacked Cipher

Encipher Use Constrained Writing to Send a

Secret Message
Create Easy and Tough to Break
Obtain a Vigènere Square (pictured at the end of this article) or create a Vigènere Substitution Codes
1 Square on your own (see the Related wikiHows).

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How to Write a Letter
Cipher
Encode and DECODE
Decoder
How to Use

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Think of a keyword that is shorter than the phrase or phrases you want to of wikiHow for over 6 years. He
2 encipher. For this example we will use: spends most of his time on
LIME wikiHow reading the articles, but occasionally
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Write down your message without spaces. For this example we will use:
3 WIKIHOWISTHEBEST

Write the keyword under your message, carefully lining each letter up with a
4 letter from your message. Do this until you run out of message:
WIKIHOWISTHEBEST

LIMELIMELIMELIME

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Cut the keyword to fit the phrase if needed. In the example used for this article, the
5 word
LIME
fits perfectly but when the keyword is not a perfect fit, there is no need to use the full word.
For example:
WIKIHOWISTHEBESTOFTHEBEST

LIMELIMELIMELIMELIMELIMEL

Go to the row of the first letter of the keyword in the Vigènere Square and go to
6 the column of the first letter of the actual message and find the intersection point
of the row and column. That's your cipher letter.

Continue on in this fashion until your entire phrase is ciphered. The example ends
7 up as:
LAYEWGKEHLVAQWGP

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Decipher

Perform the above steps in reverse to decode ciphered text.

1

Find the column of the first letter of the ciphered text, and go over until you
2 reach the row of the first letter of the keyword. That letter is the first letter of the
encoded phrase.

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Continue on in this manner until you completely decipher the text.
3

Finished.
4

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Vigènere Square Edit

Tips Edit

Double check to make sure you encipher correctly. An erroneously enciphered text can be
impossible to interpret correctly, and it is difficult to recognize a mistake without a double-
check.
When giving this to someone else, they need to know the keyword to decipher the code, so
secretly whisper it to them or use a predetermined Caesar cipher to encipher the keyword as
well.

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If you use a larger Vigènere square which includes both punctuation and spacing, the cipher
becomes more difficult to break. This is especially so when the "keyword" or "key phrase" is as
long or longer than the message.
Another method of encryption is to find a corresponding letter in a row and column
intersection. In this case "letter W and L is H" and so on. WIKIHOWISTHEBEST becomes
HQWMSWIMDBTIMMEX.
The more often your "Keyword" or "Key Phrase" repeats the more easily patterns are detected
in the encrypted text and the easier it is to break the cipher. A "Key" as long or longer than the
length of the message is preferable.
Another method to further obfuscate your message is to Caesar cipher the original message
using a predetermined value (for example: Like ROT13), then run it through a Vigènere cipher.
Even if decoded, without knowing the result has been Caesar ciphered before the Vigènere
cipher is used, it will still appear to be gibberish.
There are online Vigènere Deciphers you can use to help decipher your code. Do a search to
find them.

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Warnings Edit

This cipher is not fool-proof (no cipher is) and can be quickly cracked. By current standards,
the Vigènere cipher is extremely weak. Do not use this for anything truly top-secret. For
stronger encryption research AES and RSA . This cipher can, however, be used with a one
time pad (a truly random encryption key the same length as the text that is only used once) to
produce a cipher text that, as long as the key is secure, can not be cracked.

Related wikiHows Edit

How to Create a Vigènere Square

How to Decode a Caesar Box Code
How to Recognize, Decipher, and Use NATO Phonetic Alphabet
How to Read and Write in 1337
How to Read 12 Digit UPC Barcodes
How to Make a Secret Note

Sources and Citations Edit

Vigènere Cipher on wikipedia

Online Converter for ROT5, ROT13, ROT18 and ROT47, which are probably the most used
Caesar ciphers in computing

Article Info

Categories: Featured Articles | Puzzles and Memory Games | Codes and Hidden Featured Article
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Recent edits by: KamiDesu, Silver Diadem, Michaelabrams01
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