Puzzle 1
Starter clue: V = O
QRIDWUWEMVUWEKXWKDLIKSINECGZVDVBEVXVDWSEWWBVBFCIEWZFLIDNVKVFMRDDVOWZVKW.
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 30
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: Z = O
EZIZYMEZYIPAHCIPEXZJZYINAHRMYPG,ZYDZHMXZJPXS,PXHZLCIPEMZGNSDPSGNECMSDYCPM.
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: D = I
AYUKEMDEVKYUVLYUEPWKHFUVVFUKYKBBDUH,KFHEIDFCKYEDEDPFVHPEIUDYQPLFHVHDGDHU.
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: P = A
TSYSDPZDBXHDZBPMS,DTUJMVPGHHXSLPYHURPZDBXHDZBPMS;TSYSDPATPZ,HXSLPYHURPATPZ.
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: X = L
NLOTAXXHUNLOVMRAOZQMUZIMRANQIXSXUEIH,RITAXXHULXXMRAOZQMUZIMRANQIXSIOEAIH.
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: W = T
WICBFCZCFSOWQNDNEWICJNDZWQWXWQNDEFNPQDEFOJWQNDQZWICBFCZQHCDW'ZIQVICZWHXWM.
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)
- “Whatever Government can fairly do to promote free popular education ought to be done.”— Rutherford B. Hayes, 1880, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=S B=P C=L D=T E=R F=U G=Y H=Z I=A J=X K=N L=C M=G N=I O=B P=J Q=W R=H S=F T=K U=V V=O W=E X=M Y=Q Z=D
- “No cord nor cable can so forcibly draw, or hold so fast, as love can do with a twined thread.”— Robert Burton, 1621, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Part III. Sect. 2, Memb. 1, Subsect. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=G C=E D=H E=N F=K G=W H=L I=C J=F K=X L=V M=D N=I O=P P=A Q=Z R=Y S=T T=U U=Q V=J W=M X=S Y=R Z=O
- “Great wits are sure to madness near allied, And thin partitions do their bounds divide.”— John Dryden, 1681, Absalom and Achitophel, Part I. Line 163 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=L C=P D=I E=T F=N G=V H=D I=H J=K K=A L=U M=W N=Z O=Q P=O Q=B R=Y S=X T=J U=E V=S W=M X=C Y=R Z=F
- “Were I a nightingale, I would act the part of a nightingale; were I a swan, the part of a swan.”— Epictetus, 108, Discourses (recorded by Arrian), Chap. XVI (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=G C=Q D=I E=X F=V G=C H=T I=K J=U K=B L=P M=L N=Z O=J P=A Q=M R=F S=E T=W U=O V=D W=Y X=H Y=R Z=N
- “Man will do many things to get himself loved, he will do all things to get himself envied.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=I B=U C=Q D=X E=V F=P G=R H=D I=E J=B K=Z L=A M=T N=M O=N P=K Q=S R=H S=F T=W U=O V=Y W=J X=L Y=C Z=G
- “The preservation of the Constitution from infraction is the President's highest duty.”— James K. Polk, 1848, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=Q B=P C=E D=N E=F F=R G=L H=D I=H J=C K=B L=J M=Y N=O O=A P=M Q=I R=Z S=V T=K U=W V=G W=T X=U Y=X Z=S