Puzzle 1
Starter clue: V = A
NEVMCEQVDDSLVSFVHGCKQFCVFVB;XLQEVMCOEQFQMCNOBQBC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
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- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Action Cryptograms Set 11
6 cryptograms to solve with a pencil. Each letter of the quote has been swapped for another letter, and the same swap holds all the way through.
20 pt ciphertext — the size a newspaper puzzle page never gives you. 26 pt ciphertext with wide letter spacing and room to write. Both sizes print on US Letter with the answer key on its own page.
Printing this web page instead? Press Ctrl+P (⌘+P on a Mac). The navigation and buttons drop away, and the answer key prints on its own page — open it below first if you want it included.
The puzzles
Puzzle 2
Starter clue: Y = O
SYRYXYYRVJREYQQZJKEVSNKGSUNWYTND'GXDVJRKJSNJSKYJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- V
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- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: G = E
ZGBVSIYFISWUGPWFNGYQEGGYAFPLE,PQYYQVGSRSKQMYYAGU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- Y
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: B = I
BUGPNYFBHTPADRNFABZNFY,RHUVBVAPNYRFYSAQBHHAYFFBHT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: B = E
HGBVMAHBJBJMLHBURVNKBIXBVNQMUGAIKMJBNYHAZBLJABUX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: H = T
UQOQHUCMHFEAHRVMNZXAVHRCODCOSQXHRNJRQZNQXHRVZCXN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- T
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- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Solver's cheat sheet
- Most common letters
- E T A O I N S H R D L U
- Most common 1-letter words
- A I
- Most common 2-letter words
- OF TO IN IT IS BE AS AT SO WE HE BY OR ON DO IF ME MY UP AN GO NO US AM
- Most common 3-letter words
- THE AND FOR ARE BUT NOT YOU ALL ANY CAN HER WAS ONE OUR OUT DAY GET HAS HIM HIS HOW MAN NEW NOW OLD SEE TWO WAY WHO BOY DID ITS LET PUT SAY SHE TOO USE
- Common double letters
- LL EE SS OO TT FF RR NN PP CC
- Common word endings
- -ING -ION -ENT -TION -LY -ED -ER -EST
- After an apostrophe
- T (don't) S (it's) RE (we're) VE (I've) LL (we'll) D (I'd)
Want this on its own sheet? Print the letter frequency chart.
Show the answer key (6 solutions)
- “I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act I. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=N C=E D=L E=D F=M G=B H=Y I=Q J=X K=C L=H M=R N=I O=S P=G Q=O R=V S=T T=F U=Z V=A W=J X=W Y=K Z=U
- “To do good and communicate is the lover's grand intention.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=Q B=J C=K D=R E=C F=W G=S H=B I=Y J=N K=I L=F M=Z N=E O=P P=X Q=M R=D S=T T=V U=H V=A W=L X=G Y=O Z=U
- “We practical men like to see things, not to read about them.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=H B=P C=F D=V E=S F=I G=E H=Q I=C J=X K=B L=G M=U N=K O=J P=N Q=O R=D S=A T=Z U=M V=R W=L X=Y Y=T Z=W
- “I do but sing because I must, And pipe but as the linnets sing.”— Alfred Tennyson, 1850, In Memoriam A.H.H., XXI. Stanza 6 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=I C=Q D=C E=R F=S G=O H=N I=Y J=F K=Z L=K M=J N=U O=V P=B Q=L R=A S=H T=G U=D V=P W=X X=W Y=T Z=M
- “The loiterer often blames delay on his more active friend.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=I B=E C=K D=W E=Z F=P G=H H=T I=S J=R K=M L=F M=O N=A O=U P=G Q=Y R=B S=Q T=J U=N V=L W=X X=D Y=C Z=V
- “Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the whole of thy life.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=B B=J C=I D=K E=R F=U G=P H=T I=M J=W K=Z L=Q M=S N=E O=N P=A Q=O R=H S=G T=X U=D V=Y W=C X=F Y=V Z=L