Puzzle 1
Starter clue: X = E
HCXTSZYYUQXLXQZTV,JSCXAUASVWJYYJH.SCXWUAPXAVSCXAXWJAXUAXSCXWJMTFXAVJWCMPUTIZRZYZOUSZJT.
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 36
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: N = T
NTVUVXNPCNRXNRXOKNNTVFPOGTKARJVXTRXVWVKOZKXNVCRNW,ULNNTVKOVGTKYKMVXNTVZCPENREVKATRXPCN.
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: K = T
EAKVLBWKMANLVABKOBFOBXBGN,VLGLKOAGTRDAKOBVBWWLGNRVQKLKOAYRVRDOANGIEADKOBKQLPAGVRKDJRVN.
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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- U
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: R = A
ASCHRYXSESRJROAPRVVWTRUGIENSUJIRNHXUASVRQENEYUAUJJENRNCASRACKCNWYCUDSQENORYTEUYAAESUH.
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: C = I
CDMQJGK,ESJYAQKKJRJXYMKCBSCDILCDRTOMFCGCKKJITTDIKCJDMIDRGSVYCGSXYMKCBSNGJPKQSPCDGSKYGD.
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
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: B = E
QBXYIQRKHHQBHHQBNSYYIMCBHHQEBPBQBVIYIMAKU,SYVQBNSYYIMCBHHCKNNBCCRKHHUQEBPBQBVIYIMNSPPU.
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)
- “When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers therefore are the founders of human civilization.”— Daniel Webster, 1840, Remarks on Agriculture, Jan. 13, 1840. P. 457 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=Y C=H D=J E=Q F=D G=P H=W I=C J=O K=X L=B M=U N=K O=Z P=M Q=G R=V S=T T=N U=A V=S W=F X=E Y=L Z=I
- “The best artist is not the man who fixes his eye on posterity, but the one who loves the practice of his art.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=F B=Z C=R D=K E=C F=M G=W H=Q I=J J=X K=O L=U M=V N=T O=N P=A Q=G R=I S=D T=H U=B V=E W=Y X=S Y=L Z=P
- “Let no act be done at haphazard, nor otherwise than according to the finished rules that govern its kind.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IV. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=A C=Q D=S E=L F=P G=R H=M I=U J=K K=T L=O M=B N=D O=H P=V Q=G R=I S=J T=W U=Y V=N W=C X=Z Y=F Z=X
- “The man who has actually paid for his farm with labor on it is so rare that every neighbor can point to him.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=T B=K C=E D=G E=O F=Z G=D H=M I=F J=S K=V L=Q M=X N=R O=C P=U Q=B R=A S=H T=P U=I V=L W=Y X=W Y=N Z=J
- “In short, we ought to do justice in a kindly spirit to all nations and require justice from them in return.”— James Buchanan, 1857, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=G B=C C=I D=N E=W F=P G=R H=X I=A J=O K=T L=K M=S N=F O=Y P=M Q=H R=D S=E T=L U=B V=Q W=Z X=J Y=U Z=V
- “We know full well we cannot sell where we do not buy, and we cannot sell successfully where we do not carry.”— Warren G. Harding, 1921, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=B B=E C=S D=Z E=H F=P G=V H=L I=O J=X K=U L=J M=T N=C O=Q P=R Q=W R=F S=A T=I U=Y V=D W=M X=K Y=N Z=G