Puzzle 1
Starter clue: E = T
RWFWENKAESELSZSUKTFRSZWQELJPTQSTFELWXHLEAKMWXEWELSZA,NLSFELWXRWAEFWEZSQSZELJELWXHLEAEWAWUSWMDSGEWQGWUUWFXETPTEJ.
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 47
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: M = E
AFDMWAMVMMEXMNRMORFKQHMAMQCFXJWJFWP;STRRKMLVMQRPQYMLTQVOFYPFNJMRBQWOFYOFDMPRJNZJYMAQP,RKQRFXJWJFWPAMVMWFRQNRMOFW.
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: Q = T
KHBKGFNTYQIQRXFRINQBKG;KYCQRXFRINQBKGOFQRXYKQTNKH:KPPINCOYEHGFKGKYCCIXLXNGQROYEOYPIYUINSOQGBOQRQRXFITYCXFQNXKFIY.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: L = E
UYSYWQLMLRWWKLWRAWTAGCKTAKKRHLBRTSLUJYNYSLHTAWYQJ,ONWXLWJYNQDLWKYUGOLQLBNXRWLUOJWKLTSZTSTWLHRQTLWJYZATQANDGWRSALG.
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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- S
- T
- U
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = E
NDNAJOLJSGUGLUMFFMLA,CUJZFUCUMCUGLIGHHGHBGLGYPAGMLUGMLC-HCLNEFH,N'RABUNHCRGUGLJDDMEARGCUGLAJBECUGBNEA,CJOLGPMCDJLCZEG.
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: R = E
BRAPXROYQRUYPOVRPLLRPVCKPUCYFYNUARNPOUUAPUULZRCFHCXCHZPVNLRRHYQOPFFYURJCMUBCUAYZUROYFYQCOMROZLCUGPFHCFHRERFHRFOR.
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)
- “Do not waste the remainder of thy life in thoughts about others, when thou dost not refer thy thoughts to some object of common utility.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=S B=P C=Z D=J E=T F=N G=C H=G I=V J=Y K=A L=H M=B N=W O=Q P=L Q=F R=D S=E T=I U=M V=X W=O X=U Y=K Z=R
- “Women were expected to have weak opinions; but the great safeguard of society and of domestic life was, that opinions were not acted on.”— George Eliot, 1872, MiddlemarchCipher key: A=W B=Y C=K D=M E=X F=O G=Q H=V I=J J=I K=H L=G M=E N=C O=D P=S Q=A R=T S=B T=U U=Z V=R W=N X=P Y=F Z=L
- “Always run to the short way; and the short way is the natural: accordingly say and do everything in conformity with the soundest reason.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=Z B=W C=D D=X E=G F=S G=Y H=L I=O J=K K=A L=V M=J N=R O=I P=C Q=T R=H S=M T=U U=F V=P W=B X=E Y=N Z=Q
- “Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=C B=G C=W D=M E=Q F=Z G=S H=V I=X J=Y K=H L=E M=P N=U O=B P=J Q=R R=A S=N T=I U=D V=K W=T X=L Y=O Z=F
- “If I do prove her haggard, Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings, I 'ld whistle her off and let her down the wind, To prey at fortune.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Othello, Act III. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=W C=T D=F E=N F=G G=E H=S I=J J=O K=Z L=R M=A N=I O=P P=Y Q=X R=L S=V T=B U=H V=K W=Q X=C Y=M Z=U
- “We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=H B=W C=I D=B E=P F=N G=Y H=D I=Q J=X K=Z L=R M=S N=F O=C P=A Q=M R=E S=G T=J U=T V=L W=K X=V Y=O Z=U