Puzzle 1
Starter clue: I = T
YJBQGSQGMKCQITWJQDOQIIWCXRRQQCXRBQGXDWKWXKXCKDQIIWC,WYILWDSDYIWILYCORSQDILDWXKYCO,QDKQILYCORSQDILILWSDYIYCO.
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 45
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: G = E
WZNIFLVPGWPKFHGPGDOGE,FJGCNJLWIIEFJGNDIBFDRVWKGNPLGIINPNJFKMGD;WZNMWTMFJG,WJEWOWEVNIGUXGIIGJXGWPKFHGDGTNDEGE.
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: V = T
ZGZEJFLZRLVAZCFEBWDLFCXVAPVVAZXFMVFGZEIFYZXVAZAPEW,PLWVAZCZPDVAZXVEFLT,QNVLFFLZRXPQBZVFIPEEJRVFNVRLSEPIVRIZ.
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 4
Starter clue: H = E
CHEYHZHOXPPXPOLSEZEPTSPSBYLSAHYEPDHSVLKHEZBWHSVQSCHYZULKSWHCKSZHLYEUVSYQYSVXLLKHHAHJHPLEYUTHDHPDXHWSVAXVH.
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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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: D = E
WCZKICDKZEIZZNYTAA,GRTDKRDWKNNDCZRSWRQLZIDLUDSZEEDSWKDBDS-STRUDSATEDWKNDBDS-AWSIDSGWLTGEWRLTZKLZLUDTKNTBTNXWA.
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 6
Starter clue: Y = O
SPPYFKSGGKECFGBHSKBQYMEXEBMYKWZSATBM;SAMEGOEPPCBSDYYKSWWYFAGYXFHEXYFKJEBOHMYAYGQYMEXNSAMWZSATBEASDKYDYKGEYA.
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)
- “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.”— Benjamin Franklin, 1738, Poor Richard's AlmanackCipher key: A=P B=Y C=N D=R E=M F=K G=U H=Q I=T J=F K=D L=H M=L N=C O=G P=Z Q=O R=S S=W T=B U=J V=X W=E X=A Y=I Z=V
- “If a low use is to be served, one man will do nearly or quite as well as another; if a high one, individual excellence is to be regarded.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=Z B=Y C=M D=R E=D F=O G=E H=B I=L J=N K=T L=W M=H N=A O=V P=S Q=K R=Q S=J T=G U=X V=U W=I X=C Y=P Z=F
- “Every one in the world knows that the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak the strong, but no one is able to carry it out in practice.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=L C=W D=K E=R F=O G=V H=Q I=C J=Y K=X L=N M=F N=U O=J P=A Q=B R=I S=P T=G U=Z V=T W=D X=S Y=M Z=E
- “We are beginning to abandon our tolerance of the abuse of power by those who betray for profit the elementary decencies of life.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937, Second Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=L B=U C=W D=C E=A F=X G=Z H=E I=V J=M K=H L=T M=J N=K O=G P=N Q=P R=Q S=O T=D U=Y V=F W=S X=I Y=R Z=B
- “Among men of good will, science and democracy together offer an ever-richer life and ever-larger satisfaction to the individual.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937, Second Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=L B=V C=M D=E E=F F=P G=S H=J I=G J=Q K=N L=T M=K N=D O=X P=B Q=Y R=C S=R T=I U=H V=Z W=A X=U Y=W Z=O
- “All our attributes are modified or changed; and it will be a poor account of us if our views do not modify and change in a proportion.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=N B=E C=B D=P E=I F=U G=T H=S I=Q J=V K=R L=K M=D N=Y O=W P=L Q=M R=J S=A T=G U=Z V=X W=C X=F Y=O Z=H