Character frequency counter
Type something and the most frequent words show up here.
Type something and the most frequent words show up here.
Every distinct character in your text is counted and ranked, commonest first, with the share of the total. Spaces and line breaks are included and labelled rather than hidden.
How to run a frequency count
Frequency analysis is the oldest technique in cryptanalysis and it still works on simple substitution ciphers, because a substitution changes which symbol stands for E without changing how often it appears. In ordinary English, E is about 12 percent of letters, then T, A, O, I and N; if your ciphertext has one symbol at roughly 12 percent, that is your E. The method breaks on anything with a polyalphabetic key and on very short texts, where a single unusual word skews everything. It is also a quick way to spot a stray character. A non-breaking space or a smart quote sitting in data where it should not be.
Questions
E at about 12 percent, then T, A, O, I and N. Together those six are around 45 percent of all letters.
For a simple substitution, often yes. A symbol appearing about 12 percent of the time is likely E. It does not work on polyalphabetic ciphers.
Yes, and usually top the table. They appear as a labelled row rather than an invisible one.
Yes. Upper and lower case are separate rows, since they are different characters.
The top thirty, which covers the alphabet plus the usual punctuation.