Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = E
DLCTFS,CNJDSXS,RBTCQBSHDJSZJTRILFWZKGGSQITGQBSRTPJWBLHSITDFMSFISWQBLQDLCPSMOJSIIRBLQDWTQTIYDQSQBSRTPJW.
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 43
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: A = E
RASCBAVMQAMHEVHWGWMMWSAETNQJAWWAECQVNQTLNENW,CQVRASCBATSMRQWSAHWYMTWZMEUACECQOANQADCOWNQIMHEMRQENISWT.
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: G = E
VGW'TFSYBVGWJTPCGPDPCNGHKZJEGLCZKCJSWGT;PWYJELWBTKSJRPCYYKYCPRJEGLWRPCYISPHLJUPZJGCJEGV,JKTSZZGCPHHPHLAG.
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: F = N
HTHFNQEMVGHWXIUVNLPEXFYMHWEPBGMXYMNFYPLPEQFGXIIYNFVXFQP;LQVXFTHVVPWBVMHVWPVQWFFNV,MPTHULPTNWPTHEFXSXYPFV.
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: V = E
XWVXLOVWMPJAOVZAIMOAIVRIMJXLJMTNPVAZOAIMTRABVI,MSKOAIVIVTLMSJVNRASXWVRILSJLRTVXWMXILUWXOMFVPLXPABSOLUWX.
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: Y = E
DYHCDJGBDYRPVB,GFHSGKKTBEWBJYEYVBFGRYVDYSGF,GFHDCPKHNGTFJGIYBJYUQGTVYCNJGITFLTFBYFHYHBJYQYVPKBDJTSJYFVPYV.
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)
- “I am one, my liege, Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world have so incensed that I am reckless what I do to spite the world.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act III. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=H C=M D=I E=Q F=N G=F H=V I=S J=L K=U L=A M=C N=Y O=K P=R Q=T R=W S=E T=O U=X V=Z W=D X=G Y=P Z=B
- “We have done our duty to others in letter and in spirit, and we have shown the utmost forbearance in exacting our own rights.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1903, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=E B=V C=A D=X E=R F=K G=Y H=U I=G J=L K=Q L=P M=O N=I O=C P=J Q=N R=W S=H T=S U=B V=D W=T X=Z Y=M Z=F
- “Men's judgments are a parcel of their fortunes; and things outward do draw the inward quality after them, To suffer all alike.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Antony and Cleopatra, Act III. Sc. 13 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=G C=R D=P E=H F=J G=E H=L I=Q J=T K=O L=I M=V N=C O=X P=A Q=Z R=W S=U T=S U=Y V=M W=N X=B Y=D Z=F
- “A man ought warily to begin charges which once begun will continue; but in matters that return not, he may be more magnificent.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=Q B=S C=D D=J E=G F=N G=W H=A I=L J=X K=P L=B M=H N=O O=V P=E Q=U R=Z S=F T=M U=Y V=T W=R X=I Y=C Z=K
- “The time has come for a more practical use of moral power, and more reliance upon the principle that right makes its own might.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1923, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=O B=W C=V D=J E=B F=K G=Z H=Q I=R J=C K=D L=I M=A N=U O=M P=S Q=Y R=P S=N T=L U=G V=E W=H X=T Y=X Z=F
- “We do what we must, and call it by the best names we can, and would fain have the praise of having intended the result which ensues.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=Z B=T C=O D=W E=B F=N G=A H=D I=V J=H K=L L=G M=Q N=F O=X P=U Q=R R=M S=C T=I U=P V=S W=Y X=J Y=E Z=K