Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
BWQYVQWJBXNDQINKBDYNIRLON(EYUWQBXMJNNIWVZYDOXBHMGWEYKNHLYIXNQWDGINNI).
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
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- T
- U
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- X
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- Z
Action Cryptograms Set 28
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: K = E
DXYVYHDSCKKIDKBVYUHXFFKBHKDQKZBXDKHDSXVXEYVYCYUEXBHKSOSVPSOZKVOYTUK.
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 3
Starter clue: I = T
CQZJRI,CICHJHKCZZCRGPIIEJVVAEVACJIBIDBIDEGWDIHEZEIDBAHJHCICHIECQUBQI.
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 4
Starter clue: O = A
IBVKOWNIONPFNNPQGOLRPQNIWBVHIFHYQODH!HBHIFLQHOUBBRRQQRFLOLOXUINAVBWPR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = R
PYADWQWDVVXGQXDGGJKTQWXGHXWYXDGETZGZEQYG,ZOSPJQTJQ,VYGTZVW,XDGHJFYGQJYW.
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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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: L = T
LKZUEKCOTLEFLKCQLWQYYFTFZPLLKCQRKL,EFBBCYLZPYOBBFPLCQPWQWGZTLZMMOPRZJ.
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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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)
- “Torn from their destined page (unworthy meed of knightly counsel and heroic deed).”— John Ferriar, 1798, Illustrations of Sterne, Bibliomania. Line 121 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=T C=Z D=I E=U F=B G=C H=L I=D J=M K=S L=A M=Y N=E O=G P=Q Q=R R=P S=X T=V U=W V=F W=O X=H Y=N Z=K
- “To an active external commerce the protection of a naval force is indispensable.”— George Washington, 1796, Eighth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=Y B=R C=V D=T E=F F=M G=J H=C I=X J=K K=E L=Q M=U N=G O=S P=D Q=H R=W S=I T=B U=L V=N W=Z X=O Y=A Z=P
- “In fact, it is as difficult to appropriate the thoughts of others as it is to invent.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1876, Letters and Social Aims, Quotation and Originality (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=E C=I D=H E=O F=W G=U H=S I=T J=A K=D L=M M=Q N=K O=X P=L Q=N R=C S=J T=Y U=V V=P W=G X=Z Y=B Z=F
- “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=O C=P D=M E=V F=I G=C H=S I=H J=K K=F L=N M=Z N=T O=A P=L Q=E R=D S=Q T=X U=G V=W W=R X=U Y=B Z=J
- “We must support our rights or lose our character, and with it, perhaps, our liberties.”— James Monroe, 1817, First Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=M B=Q C=Y D=U E=C F=B G=R H=L I=Z J=I K=G L=K M=F N=J O=N P=W Q=T R=V S=D T=H U=X V=P W=S X=O Y=E Z=A
- “They who act without sufficient thought, will often fall into unsuspected danger.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=Z B=L C=O D=J E=W F=I G=P H=M I=X J=R K=H L=T M=D N=Q O=A P=N Q=U R=G S=V T=C U=Y V=B W=S X=K Y=F Z=E