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Don't like people snooping in your diary? A perfect solution is to write in secret code. Secret codes have been used for a long period of time. Read on to figure out how!
Steps
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1Make your code easy to remember, but hard to decode. One of the most common coding methods is to give each letter of the alphabet a number, A=1, B=2. The problem is it is the most common coding method. Reversing this method and starting with Z=1, Y=2, X=3 may be a better solution, but it is still a very flimsy method of coding. Similarly, writing the words from right to left is also a flimsy method because it only takes a few seconds to figure out that it is written backwards.[1]
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2Give each letter (or certain words) its own corresponding shape. For example, if you wanted to mention shoe, you would instead draw a small square, a textbook could be a square. A table could be a square with three straight lines draw above it. This will make an almost unbreakable code, but it also makes writing, and reading, a very lengthy process. By using this method, you can essentially create your own language of squares, chevrons, lines, circles with boxes inside, etc. and only someone with the decoder sheet would be able to tell what you had written.[2]
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3Give each letter its own corresponding letter; A=Q, B=T, C=R. The problem with this system is that it can easily confuse the writer. Trying to write a T while thinking of a B is contrary to the way our brains are designed to perform.[3]
Community Q&A
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QuestionWhere should I keep the paper that I have written the codes on if I tend to be very forgetful?
Community AnswerKeep it somewhere really secret. But put sticky notes in places where you go most often that say a particular word or phrase related to the place where you hid your stuff. Try your best to hide the stickies, and don't make the word or phrase too obvious to anyone else. -
QuestionWhat if I mess up while writing in code?
Community AnswerWrite on another sheet of paper, then read it over to make sure everything is correct before transferring the writing to your diary. Or, just use pencil so you can erase if you make a mistake. -
QuestionShould I write the entire diary in code?
Community AnswerIt's up to you! If you want your entire diary to stay private, then I would write all of it in code. -
QuestionWhat should I do if I used the scrambled letters method but the scrambled letters formed a curse word and my parents found it?Community AnswerExplain to your parents what happened and show them your code. They might want you to tell them the real word for proof.
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QuestionWhat if someone knows the code and starts snooping?Community AnswerThen make up a new one. For example, turn every letter into a weird symbol. If they've already snooped, tell them to stop reading, since it is private and none of their business.
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QuestionWhat if I'm too lazy to write it in code but still want to keep it a secret?
Glitter_MetallicCommunity AnswerYou can use a diary that has a lock. But some people can pick locks. Maybe you can stick it behind your bed and use a bag to cover it. Or, write in a computer file, this is harder to find. -
QuestionI'm very forgetful, what if I wrote the code on a paper and someone finds it?
JustAsheeyaCommunity AnswerThen make up a new code. You know the one way no one ever will figure it out? Do an entirely different code every entry! But I really don't recommend that unless you have a photographic memory or some form of remembering. That sort of thing takes a lot of time. -
QuestionIs A - Z transforming to Z - A a good code?
CeeBeeCommunity AnswerThis is a confusing code at first, but no. Many people use this as a code, so it will be obvious quickly.
Warnings
- The only way to keep someone from being able to read something you don't want them reading is not to write it in the first place. even the toughest codes can be breached by a person with enough determination and some time.Thanks!
