Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = A
DKTQLQUXQUKJWCZGQWPIBZZJVBWJFMJVMGPIBK,MGBMQMIBZBSMFBTTKMIPTLPDQTPZVWJDBTPDJU.
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 33
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 = E
MRJZCBCELFUFDOMZODKREZKKOFDEU,RKLCEUREYCDKZSAZHZRKACMMGRHKLOZVRE,CEUOFLAEZVMZNL.
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
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: L = S
BXDLBWRKLYILXWEB,-KCNXBXWFOXWLBDSFYIKLXIQY;FKABXWFOLLDNNKKY,CLEISRKSBXWFOLOSIAIQY.
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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- U
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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: W = A
NXLQIMPWOIKTYWONQ,NXLQINXLTQWHZZIOIHOBIQNXWNZWBYAKYLDKPLRWYYXIPDLPZQWHZWONBLHQ.
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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- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: P = E
APZCLLRYPIVPZYYRXPNPUMPBPGONRSYRMU,XFYAPGRPIVPZYYRGMBPDYMYROGPENCGMLEZRLGMYMRLD.
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
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- U
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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: X = E
XZXIAVRLCFWXTLMUKRXENICFBTBLM,KNUNPXXSKXMK,BMFCNZXUKNUKBANJKFNNIU,XZXMLMEXKBMFVNCF.
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)
- “My living in Yorkshire was so far out of the way, that it was actually twelve miles from a lemon.”— Sydney Smith, 1855, Lady Holland's Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith, Vol. I. p. 262 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=A C=K D=M E=D F=U G=H H=Z I=W J=O K=Y L=V M=T N=Q O=X P=E Q=I R=P S=C T=L U=N V=F W=R X=G Y=B Z=S
- “Like a man to double business bound, I stand in pause where I shall first begin, And both neglect.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=M C=A D=U E=N F=O G=F H=R I=J J=K K=S L=T M=L N=C O=B P=Q Q=Z R=I S=W T=V U=D V=G W=X X=Y Y=P Z=E
- “Thus times do shift, - each thing his turn does hold; New things succeed, as former things grow old.”— Robert Herrick, 1648, Hesperides, Ceremonies for Candlemas Eve (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=T C=A D=U E=F F=N G=X H=B I=O J=Q K=E L=S M=Y N=C O=G P=J Q=L R=M S=R T=Z U=V V=K W=I X=H Y=D Z=P
- “Those graceful acts, Those thousand decencies that daily flow from all her words and actions.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book VIII. Line 600 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=I C=J D=W E=Q F=Z G=K H=N I=E J=P K=F L=O M=G N=T O=C P=R Q=S R=M S=B T=U U=V V=X W=A X=H Y=L Z=D
- “We can not expect to be relieved from toil, but we do expect to divest it of degrading conditions.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1926, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=W B=V C=A D=S E=G F=U G=D H=J I=X J=H K=Y L=N M=I N=R O=F P=E Q=Z R=O S=M T=K U=L V=P W=Q X=B Y=T Z=C
- “Every child begins the world again, to some extent, and loves to stay out doors, even in wet and cold.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Y B=A C=L D=K E=W F=D G=Z H=J I=R J=U K=T L=I M=N N=O O=Q P=M Q=P R=H S=X T=G U=S V=C W=B X=E Y=F Z=V