A Question of Habit
Introduction
General simple substitution, presented in the Aristocrat format. Each ciphertext letter consistently represents one different plaintext letter. Word divisions and punctuation are retained, while the uppercase ciphertext does not preserve the original capitalization. The Key is a complete one-to-one alphabet: assigning a ciphertext letter to one plaintext letter rules out that same assignment everywhere else. English does not use its letters evenly. Frequency analysis can expose common single letters, digrams, and trigrams, although a frequent ciphertext letter is evidence rather than proof of a particular plaintext letter. Short words, doubled letters, repeated word shapes, common beginnings and endings, and the letters found immediately before or after a symbol provide independent evidence. A useful hypothesis should improve several parts of the message at once; a guess that creates contradictions elsewhere should be revised or disabled. The Workbench can count frequencies, catalogue word patterns and contacts, and retain explicit letter or positioned-crib hypotheses. A retained Hypothesis Result can supply its partial mapping to the Simple substitution Tool. That Tool requires a complete cipher alphabet before it can transform the entire message.
Count overlapping units and compare their distributions.
Z UNFDSI IDRIV DRRVK UPHYZTPTG RTDO FPIZNKP KRYPRTP VPPUK HPGNHTSTX GR IZHP LRH SG. LHRY GBP UZCPYPTG, GBP BZTJK ZUUPZH GR YRCP QSGB IZDY IPHGZSTGO, YZHVSTX PZIB MNZHGPH BRNH ZFRCP GHZLLSI, HZST, ZTJ IBZTXSTX KBRU QSTJRQK. STKSJP GBP GRQPH, BRQPCPH, GBP YPIBZTSKY HPIRHJK PCPHO KPZKRT. JNKG YSEPK QSGB RDJ RSD, FHZKK PEUZTJK JNHSTX Z BRG QPPV, KGPPD IRTGHZIGK ST QSTGPH, ZTJ Z GHZIP RL YRSKGNHP IZT FPXST Z UZGIB RL HNKG. ZIINHZIO SK GBPHPLRHP TRG Z MNZDSGO STKGZDDPJ RTIP. SG SK GBP ZIINYNDZGPJ HPKNDG RL STKUPIGSRT, IDPZTSTX, ZJANKGYPTG, ZTJ UZGSPTG ANJXYPTG. QBPT Z IRTKPHCZGRH LSHKG PTGPHK Z TPXDPIGPJ IDRIV HRRY, GBP KPTKSFDP SYUNDKP SK GR RFKPHCP FPLRHP GRNIBSTX ZTOGBSTX. Z KGRUUPJ YPIBZTSKY KGSDD IRTGZSTK PCSJPTIP. GBP URKSGSRT RL Z DPCPH YZO KBRQ QBPHP YRGSRT IPZKPJ. Z FHSXBG ZHI RT Z JZHV UDZGP IZT HPCPZD GBZG Z QBPPD BZK HNFFPJ ZXZSTKG SGK TPSXBFRNH. NTPCPT QPZH RT Z GRRGB YZO URSTG GR Z FPTG ZHFRH, QBSDP Z KGHPZV RL JSHGO DNFHSIZTG KNXXPKGK GBZG GRR YNIB RSD QZK ZJJPJ JNHSTX ZT PZHDSPH HPUZSH. UBRGRXHZUBK, YPZKNHPYPTGK, ZTJ QHSGGPT TRGPK UHPKPHCP GBSK LSHKG IRTJSGSRT KR GBZG DZGPH JPISKSRTK JR TRG JPUPTJ RT YPYRHO ZDRTP. IDPZTSTX JPYZTJK HPKGHZSTG. URDSKBPJ FHZKK YZO DRRV SYUHPKKSCP, FNG ZXXHPKKSCP QRHV IZT PHZKP GRRD YZHVK, KGZYUPJ TNYFPHK, RH GBP YPDDRQ KNHLZIP GBZG JRINYPTGK ZXP. DRRKP JSHG SK HPYRCPJ FPLRHP RDJ XHPZKP SK KRLGPTPJ, ZTJ PZIB KYZDD UZHG SK VPUG ST Z DZFPDDPJ GHZO. GBP IDRIV SK TRG KSYUDO GZVPT ZUZHG; SGK HPDZGSRTKBSUK ZHP HPIRHJPJ. QZKBPHK GBZG ZUUPZH STGPHIBZTXPZFDP YZO IRTGHRD GBP PEZIG JPUGB RL Z USCRG. Z GBST KBSY YZO FP ZT ZQVQZHJ BSKGRHSIZD HPUZSH, OPG HPYRCSTX SG QSGBRNG NTJPHKGZTJSTX SGK UNHURKP IZT HPCSCP GBP LZNDG SG RTIP IRHHPIGPJ. GBP PKIZUPYPTG JPKPHCPK KUPISZD ZGGPTGSRT FPIZNKP SG JSCSJPK KGRHPJ PTPHXO STGR YPZKNHPJ KGPUK. SGK UZDDPGK HPIPSCP HPUPZGPJ SYUNDKPK LHRY GBP PKIZUP QBPPD, QBSDP GBP UPTJNDNY KNUUDSPK Z HPXNDZH STGPHCZD. LHSIGSRT ZG GBRKP IRTGZIGK KDRQDO IBZTXPK GBPSH KBZUP. Z HPUZSHPH KGNJSPK GBP QRHT LZIPK NTJPH YZXTSLSIZGSRT ZTJ JPISJPK QBPGBPH IDPZTSTX, IZHPLND ZJANKGYPTG, RH HPUDZIPYPTG SK ANKGSLSPJ. TPQ YZGPHSZD KBRNDJ TRG FP STGHRJNIPJ YPHPDO FPIZNKP SG SK IRTCPTSPTG. Z BZHJPTPJ KGPPD USCRG, Z FHRTWP FNKB, RH Z GSTO APQPD FPZHSTX YNKG KNSG GBP DRZJK ZTJ XPRYPGHO RL GBP PESKGSTX JPKSXT. DZHXP UNFDSI IDRIVK ZDKR IRTTPIG GBP JPDSIZGP YRCPYPTG GR BPZCO BZTJK PEURKPJ GR QPZGBPH. KBZLGK IHRKK YZKRTHO, XPZHK GNHT ZG HSXBG ZTXDPK, ZTJ DRTX HRJK IZHHO YRGSRT GRQZHJ KPCPHZD JSZDK. QSTJ IZT UHPKK ZXZSTKG Z YSTNGP BZTJ DSVP Z DPCPH. FSHJK STCPKGSXZGP RUPTSTXK, STKPIGK FNSDJ TPKGK, ZTJ RDJ UZSTG LDZVPK STGR KUZIPK GBZG QPHP YPZTG GR HPYZST IDPZH. Z IDRIV YZO VPPU PEIPDDPTG GSYP RT GBP FPTIB OPG KGHNXXDP ZLGPH SG SK HPIRTTPIGPJ GR GBP PEGPHTZD JSKUDZO. GPKGSTX YNKG GBPHPLRHP STIDNJP GBP QBRDP UZGB LHRY GBP URQPH KRNHIP GR PCPHO CSKSFDP BZTJ. YRJPHT PMNSUYPTG IZT BPDU QSGBRNG HPUDZISTX YPIBZTSIZD NTJPHKGZTJSTX. ZT PDPIGHRTSI KPTKRH IZT XHZUB GBP UPTJNDNY UPHSRJ, Z JSXSGZD YSIHRKIRUP IZT HPCPZD Z IHZIV, ZTJ ZT E-HZO SYZXP IZT KBRQ Z BSJJPT ARSTG FPLRHP SG SK JSKGNHFPJ. MNZHGW STKGHNYPTGK UHRCSJP Z IRTCPTSPTG IRYUZHSKRT LRH HZGP. GBPKP GRRDK UHRJNIP UHPISKP RFKPHCZGSRTK, FNG GBPO JR TRG JPISJP QBZG IRTJSGSRT SK BSKGRHSIZDDO YPZTSTXLND RH BRQ YNIB STGPHCPTGSRT SK ZUUHRUHSZGP. GBP IRTKPHCZGRH KGSDD BZK GR JSKGSTXNSKB Z BZHYDPKK SHHPXNDZHSGO LHRY Z LZNDG GBZG GBHPZGPTK GBP IDRIV. KRYP CZHSZGSRTK FPDRTX GR GBP RFAPIG HZGBPH GBZT GR JZYZXP. Z GRQPH YRCPK KDSXBGDO ZK GPYUPHZGNHP ZTJ QSTJ IBZTXP. Z DRTX UPTJNDNY HPKURTJK GR ZSH JPTKSGO, ZTJ GBSIVPTSTX DNFHSIZTG ZDGPHK LHSIGSRT. PZHDO YZVPHK IRYUPTKZGPJ LRH GBPKP PLLPIGK QSGB JPCSIPK KNIB ZK XHSJSHRT UPTJNDNYK, WSTI ZTJ KGPPD HRJK, RH YPHINHO AZHK. DZGPH INKGRJSZTK KRYPGSYPK ZJJPJ PDPIGHSI QSTJSTX YRGRHK RH ZNGRYZGSI IRHHPIGSRT. PZIB ZDGPHZGSRT FPIRYPK UZHG RL GBP IDRIV'K FSRXHZUBO, HZSKSTX Z JSLLSINDG MNPKGSRT: KBRNDJ HPKGRHZGSRT HPGNHT GBP YPIBZTSKY GR SGK PZHDSPKG LRHY, UHPKPHCP Z NKPLND DZGPH ZJZUGZGSRT, RH YZVP GBP KYZDDPKG IBZTXP TPPJPJ LRH KZLP RUPHZGSRT? RTIP GBP IDRIV HNTK ZXZST, YZSTGPTZTIP SK MNSPGPH GBZT HPKGRHZGSRT FNG YRHP SYURHGZTG. Z HPXNDZH CSKSG IZGIBPK Z DRRKP KIHPQ FPLRHP SG LZDDK STGR GBP XPZHK ZTJ LSTJK QZGPH FPLRHP IRHHRKSRT KUHPZJK. RSD SK UDZIPJ KUZHSTXDO ZG GBP IRHHPIG FPZHSTXK HZGBPH GBZT URNHPJ ZIHRKK GBP YRCPYPTG. HZGP IBZTXPK ZHP DRXXPJ STKGPZJ RL IRHHPIGPJ SYUNDKSCPDO. GBP FPKG HPIRHJ STIDNJPK QBZG QZK RFKPHCPJ, QBZG QZK IBZTXPJ, QBSIB YZGPHSZDK QPHP NKPJ, ZTJ QBZG HPYZSTK NTIPHGZST. GBZG ZHIBSCP ZDDRQK GBP TPEG HPUZSHPH GR ANJXP GBP UHPKPTG YPIBZTSKY QSGBRNG BZCSTX GR XNPKK QBZG BZUUPTPJ JPIZJPK PZHDSPH. Z QPDD-VPUG UNFDSI IDRIV SK IRTKPMNPTGDO FRGB Z YZIBSTP ZTJ Z IRTGSTNSTX ZXHPPYPTG. PTXSTPPHK, IRTKPHCZGRHK, FNSDJSTX YZTZXPHK, ZTJ DRIZD HPKSJPTGK STBPHSG JSLLPHPTG HPKURTKSFSDSGSPK LRH GBP KZYP RFAPIG. GBP YPIBZTSKY YNKG FP KZLP, DPXSFDP, ZTJ HPDSZFDP, FNG SG KBRNDJ ZDKR HPGZST PCSJPTIP RL GBP UPRUDP QBR JPKSXTPJ, ZDGPHPJ, ZTJ IZHPJ LRH SG. QBPT GBP FPDD KRNTJK ZIHRKK Z KMNZHP, GBP ZUUZHPTG KSYUDSISGO RL GBP YRYPTG HPKGK RT BNTJHPJK RL YRJPKG JPISKSRTK BSJJPT FPBSTJ GBP JSZD.
Compare word shapes, terminals, contacts, and reversals.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ