Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = E
BLSESDPPYESNMRKHESOBSEIDPWKZ,BLORISNNBKBDZSBLSXSHDRRDRHP,ORWKRPSBP,KVBLDRHP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
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- Z
Action Cryptograms Set 31
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 = T
REUWV,RUIXXI,SCXXBRPWGSCMSRFKYFWQX;LKSONRUZPRUMSRWUDXSQSCXLXSSXYWGONTKIDOXUS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: P = E
JAZNVZHPQYKVESPHCPMLXAYRZRQYCXMBQKAZSPPF,YCPKVESPXQFXBMXJXPFOGYCPFZPA'QFPPF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: S = E
HOSASGYEPSEW,GEWSSW,HPDMXGELQPPXYPASNUSAGDSEHY,PAHPHAMBSR,PAHPLMHOSAGELZSMRHO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
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- D
- E
- F
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- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: F = E
KXFPFGWRFFRUOYKELCKFOCFCNRNCFNGVVUGFEUAPF,NCFNRVULUXVGKPF,NXRNCNXRVUFMFLJVF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Z = T
DQLSGGSJKBRSJSZTQGQGVQTZEFZXZXM,FYZQTFKK,FKDFBMZEQYXTMZIQTMSJZEFZXMMIQFHXJN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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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)
- “There is surely no greater wisdom, than well to time the beginnings, and onsets, of things.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=X B=T C=J D=I E=R F=Z G=P H=G I=W J=Q K=O L=H M=Y N=L O=A P=S Q=V R=N S=E T=K U=C V=F W=D X=B Y=U Z=M
- “I know, indeed, the evil of that I purpose; but my inclination gets the better of my judgment.”— Euripides, 431 BC, Medea, 1078 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=V C=H D=G E=K F=P G=F H=X I=D J=Q K=U L=B M=A N=Y O=M P=L Q=S R=I S=T T=J U=N V=W W=O X=E Y=R Z=C
- “From lowest place when virtuous things proceed, The place is dignified by the doer's deed.”— William Shakespeare, 1605, All's Well that Ends Well, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=G C=H D=Z E=A F=D G=Y H=W I=J J=F K=P L=V M=N N=M O=B P=E Q=S R=U S=C T=X U=Q V=L W=K X=I Y=T Z=O
- “There is no end, indeed, to making books or experiments, or to travel, or to gathering wealth.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=R B=V C=Y D=M E=N F=J G=I H=T I=Q J=Z K=F L=G M=A N=X O=H P=O Q=B R=L S=E T=C U=P V=U W=D X=K Y=S Z=W
- “In every deed of mischief he had a heart to resolve, a head to contrive, and a hand to execute.”— Edward Gibbon, 1776, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, of the Roman Empire (1776). Chap. XLVIII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=W C=H D=Q E=S F=E G=R H=P I=J J=U K=I L=C M=X N=A O=F P=V Q=K R=D S=Z T=G U=O V=T W=Y X=N Y=M Z=B
- “We commonly do not remember that it is, after all, always the first person that is speaking.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Q B=Y C=J D=W E=H F=A G=M H=K I=P J=N K=L L=C M=S N=G O=Z P=V Q=E R=D S=O T=R U=X V=B W=U X=I Y=F Z=T