Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = I
NVFRSHIJFMZTJJNADHACHBGYJHAOEIMTZSHRHZIFRNSJIDNJIM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- L
- M
- N
- O
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- X
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Aesop Cryptograms Set 5
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: R = T
QDAWYHRRHNDRFSWRDTXWXEFADYTJQHPAWRFDXRWQAWHJYEXPAMI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: W = E
UWTZSEWMMWXEWZXFYXMXFYEKWAEXZDWKLMTZHMXLMFWAOZNWMTWB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: G = N
LGEFZLALGSZGDDFLK,YEQDORHWJDWEMDGGZWWZXEKKLGWZEGZWUDQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: P = E
KEFAQXOJSPFFYXESLESLAXQKQJXFPCHPFBXPOMPMBXTPFOOQZPBX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: R = E
KGRCJDRPAKXHTRXGAQHWRKAKGRUTRBWRTKGRZDRYHKYNRKAAKGRDT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- L
- M
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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)
- “Old friends cannot with impunity be sacrificed for new ones.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=T B=M C=H D=W E=B F=D G=P H=I I=E J=N K=X L=Q M=S N=O O=Y P=Z Q=V R=F S=R T=A U=K V=L W=J X=G Y=U Z=C
- “He is not to be trusted as a friend who mistreats his own family.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=I B=X C=Q D=E E=F F=R G=P H=O I=Y J=W K=Z L=V M=L N=B O=J P=M Q=H R=T S=U T=D U=C V=K W=S X=A Y=N Z=G
- “We had better bear our troubles bravely than try to escape them.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=S B=M C=I D=V E=B F=O G=K H=N I=Z J=Q K=L L=Y M=T N=P O=C P=X Q=F R=J S=D T=H U=W V=G W=E X=R Y=U Z=A
- “In avoiding one evil, care must be taken not to fall into another.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=D B=Z C=X D=E E=A F=V G=N H=S I=P J=B K=L L=I M=K N=J O=M P=Q Q=R R=U S=G T=W U=H V=Y W=T X=F Y=C Z=O
- “Misfortunes springing from ourselves are the hardest to bear.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=F B=A C=L D=J E=I F=S G=K H=V I=W J=U K=M L=G M=H N=X O=T P=E Q=O R=Y S=N T=D U=Z V=C W=Q X=R Y=P Z=B
- “They are not wise who give to themselves the credit due to others.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=O B=L C=Y D=R E=J F=B G=H H=I I=P J=A K=T L=Q M=X N=U O=Z P=N Q=G R=E S=K T=S U=M V=F W=V X=W Y=D Z=C