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Atbash Cipher

Encode and decode the Atbash cipher, which mirrors the alphabet so A becomes Z, B becomes Y, and so on. Atbash is symmetric, so the same action encodes and decodes. Letters keep their case and other characters are preserved.

Whether you call it atbash cipher or atbash decoder, this free tool handles it instantly in your browser.

13 chars2 words
13 characters, 2 words
Live preview
Svool, Dliow!

Example usage

Example input

Hello, World!

Example output

Svool, Dliow!

Batch Processing

Enter multiple inputs, one per line. Each line will be processed separately.

Why this tool?

Everything runs right in your browser — no uploads, no sign-up, no waiting. Your text never leaves your device.

Quick tips

  • •Outputs update live as you type.
  • •Use the sticky copy button to grab results quickly.
  • •Bookmark this page for fast access.

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How it works

  • Type or paste the text you want to convert.
  • Each letter is mapped to its mirror position: A↔Z, B↔Y, C↔X, and so on.
  • Run the tool again on the output to decode it back to the original.

Use cases

Solve Atbash puzzles and historical cipher challenges.
Create reversible coded messages for games.
Teach mirror substitution ciphers alongside Caesar and ROT13.
Decode Atbash-encoded clues quickly.

A cipher older than the alphabet you are reading

Atbash originated with the Hebrew alphabet, and its name encodes its own rule: aleph-tav-bet-shin — the first letter maps to the last, the second to the second-last. Applied to English it gives A↔Z, B↔Y, C↔X, and so on. It appears in the Book of Jeremiah, where scholars identify "Sheshach" as an Atbash encoding of Babel, making it one of the oldest documented ciphers in existence.

Like ROT13, Atbash is its own inverse — the mirror mapping works identically in both directions, so encoding twice returns the original. Unlike a Caesar cipher, it has no key at all: there is exactly one Atbash, which is both its charm and its total lack of security.

Recognizing Atbash in a puzzle

The tell is letter frequency running backwards. English is full of E and T; under Atbash those become V and G, so ciphertext unusually rich in V, G, and S (from H) is a strong hint. The single most useful pattern to memorize is GSV — that is THE. If you see GSV repeatedly in a puzzle, you are looking at Atbash and can decode the whole thing in one pass.

Puzzle setters like Atbash precisely because it needs no key exchange: the solver only has to recognize the scheme. It is also a favorite second layer — a puzzle may hand you numbers that decode via our A1Z26 tool into letters that then need Atbash to become words. If Atbash produces nonsense, try Caesar shifts or our Vigenère decoder next.

Encoding

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Browse every tool for this kind of task, along with helpful guides that show you how to get the most out of them.

Browse Encoding

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Conversion History

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FAQ

What is the Atbash cipher?

Atbash is a substitution cipher that reverses the alphabet, mapping A to Z, B to Y, C to X, and so on. It is one of the oldest known ciphers.

How do I decode Atbash?

Run the encoded text through the tool again. Atbash is symmetric, so encoding and decoding are the same operation.

How is Atbash different from a Caesar cipher?

A Caesar cipher shifts letters by a fixed amount, while Atbash mirrors the alphabet. Atbash has no shift value to choose.