Puzzle 1
Starter clue: P = E
URISCERXTNPNUPFBSMPDE!IPZTENEHPSFCGNUPASYO,RYPWTDMRASNDRBIDXXTBORTE.
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
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- X
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- Z
Action Cryptograms Set 26
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: S = A
PQRGDIOSFQSFWTKMIMWTWOBHMRHQSYMIX,FUSHBQWOOWGHYWDDQDSTKDISHISOHQDU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: P = T
LZEPBPDIMBGEJZDBPQJLZMEPXDVPBTEPBQR;WQDIQRQPJBRIBPEFQRLLZQGGKMQKVM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: L = T
RVXGOUJTUTIGYX,HRHWVOUJIRIBXU'LVXWXI,LVILOUJQHCVLXBXATUGULVHGCNJLLVIL.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = E
CGUEZWVXGVFXQCUEZBWUXVETPGEWOCXEGGVFEOUPPKZAGCUKDSGZWGEW,ZVFVXWTGEW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: M = T
TVMJTAXSEHZFSXEMGQATVXAAERMTITMLEVUHBBHSMQVTMLREQMTHVTAVHMQVMTDXYL.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- R
- S
- T
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- X
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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)
- “How absolute the knave is! we must speak by the card, or equivocation will undo us.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=N C=B D=I E=S F=K G=Y H=P I=W J=G K=J L=X M=V N=T O=D P=E Q=F R=O S=A T=U U=H V=Z W=Q X=L Y=R Z=M
- “We must face a condition of grim reality, charge off our losses and start afresh.”— Warren G. Harding, 1921, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=J B=G C=V D=S E=K F=C G=U H=R I=T J=Z K=D L=X M=I N=B O=F P=W Q=E R=M S=A T=N U=H V=Q W=O X=Y Y=L Z=P
- “Gratitude is a fruit of great cultivation; you do not find it among gross people.”— Samuel Johnson, 1773, Tour to the Hebrides. Sept. 20, 1773 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=I C=Z D=U E=A F=M G=S H=J I=D J=F K=P L=G M=E N=K O=X P=T Q=O R=N S=W T=V U=B V=L W=Y X=C Y=H Z=R
- “When you do dance, I wish you a wave o' the sea, that you might ever do nothing but that.”— William Shakespeare, 1611, The Winter's Tale, Act IV. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=V C=G D=F E=Q F=Z G=N H=I I=A J=U K=J L=T M=X N=B O=Y P=K Q=M R=W S=P T=D U=O V=H W=S X=E Y=C Z=L
- “He is at no end of his actions blest whose ends will make him greatest, and not best.”— George Chapman, 1608, The Conspiracy and Tragedy of Charles, Duke of Byron, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=C C=H D=G E=S F=D G=E H=X I=Y J=U K=M L=J M=P N=V O=W P=L Q=F R=Q S=R T=B U=I V=N W=T X=O Y=Z Z=A
- “In this era of great business activity and opportunity caution is not untimely.”— William McKinley, 1900, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=S B=P C=K D=M E=A F=G G=B H=O I=V J=H K=Z L=Y M=T N=Q O=W P=J Q=U R=C S=R T=I U=D V=N W=X X=E Y=L Z=F