Puzzle 1
Starter clue: F = N
SQKFKAUFKEAGXRXAGKQKDQCTESFZJYTFSFQSVARXFATZTSFBATEGKWXYXKYWX.
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Action Cryptograms Set 23
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: L = E
VRJDAJFJGBTLOLBTZBBTLMLGJMLJAXKZMLMLQYBLRFVOLGJMOZKVASAJBTVAS.
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: C = O
PYACNEPMLICKLA,WDLKOACNJWLGYBPZUPZ,RKOOCKCZILJLGARXRKOCKPZZCZULI.
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: L = E
KLTBKTMDBZCLJVYDLKVYTSXZFLQD;KLSYRYJTBKTMDBZCLJVYDLKVYXKLTSXZFL.
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: W = E
WHOWRPNMMXSLJWEWWSFLKWUWUAWKLDKSDFXFLFYWHFKNEQWKJPFYPELDKQNFWH.
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: J = E
GZDOXOZJWTXWHXTCXUJWVHJVO,RVEJJE,IDVMXGJKKEJMJWUJXFWJMOJJHDVEKXUJ?
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- 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 do not know the method of drawing up an indictment against a whole people.”— Edmund Burke, 1775, Speech on Conciliation with America, Speech on the Conciliation of America. Vol. II. p. 136 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=S C=R D=F E=W F=N G=H H=Q I=B J=U K=O L=V M=Y N=X O=Z P=J Q=D R=M S=I T=A U=K V=C W=L X=E Y=P Z=G
- “I do know of these that therefore only are reputed wise for saying nothing.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act I. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=T C=J D=K E=Z F=W G=F H=B I=V J=O K=Y L=E M=R N=X O=S P=C Q=P R=D S=G T=H U=M V=I W=Q X=L Y=U Z=A
- “If you give money, spend yourself with it, and do not merely abandon it to them.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Y B=W C=O D=P E=G F=Z G=L H=K I=M J=R K=N L=E M=V N=U O=D P=I Q=C R=A S=J T=X U=H V=Q W=S X=B Y=F Z=T
- “We always like those who admire us; we do not always like those whom we admire.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1665, Maximes, 294 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=L C=K D=S E=V F=R G=F H=P I=X J=T K=W L=E M=Y N=Z O=Q P=J Q=U R=N S=D T=A U=G V=H W=C X=M Y=O Z=I
- “Especially do we need to remember our duty to the stranger within our gates.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1906, Sixth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=B B=X C=Z D=U E=N F=T G=J H=S I=Q J=W K=R L=O M=L N=A O=P P=I Q=G R=C S=D T=F U=M V=K W=E X=Y Y=H Z=V
- “What other form of government, indeed, can so well deserve our esteem and love?”— John Adams, 1797, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=J B=K C=G D=A E=D F=U G=W H=M I=C J=E K=L L=P M=S N=X O=T P=Z Q=Y R=I S=B T=F U=V V=N W=R X=O Y=Q Z=H