Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
MHONQDAYCQSNBJMNDFHPNMLNQAPQDMQFNMBMLNZNQVBPNKMLNXMKBDF.
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
Aesop Cryptograms Set 6
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: K = E
UOKWFPKBMFXEWNPAZXUMKFXKOFUKPMTUNUONWKDZUOKAZTZHUKHUZNHW.
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: E = T
PVVPXDFPZXFTYGXPQGTIVMRPVNPVENJXEJXYEVEYMAEVYQGAEYMAEJGH.
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: H = I
HDKCRIKJZMBHSFHKYRKHDHRZDRDJUMJFBJZDJOMRPJPGHMZFHZFHKDGMKK.
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: S = E
MYYMSPQLEDTYQRSPKXMGLQXSKXMPVSZQSKSMASYTVXOUVYAHLKSBPVSXMGLQD.
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: N = E
VNAGXCAFUNQOBNLKXBLHOMXHNOBCWBQVNVMGZKEFTNCENBOENZHBLFKTNOXBCW.
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)
- “Time and place often give the advantage to the weak over the strong.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=D B=O C=L D=N E=J F=G G=U H=I I=B J=F K=R L=H M=T N=E O=M P=V Q=A R=Q S=C T=Y U=X V=K W=Z X=S Y=P Z=W
- “The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=V B=G C=Y D=W E=D F=A G=X H=N I=M J=Q K=E L=P M=U N=O O=H P=F Q=J R=K S=Z T=L U=T V=B W=S X=R Y=C Z=I
- “No one can be a friend if you know not whether to trust or distrust him.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=S B=Z C=V D=C E=T F=A G=I H=M I=Y J=H K=P L=G M=U N=W O=Q P=N Q=D R=K S=X T=F U=L V=O W=J X=E Y=R Z=B
- “It shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in distress.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=Y B=V C=H D=T E=M F=D G=R H=I I=W J=A K=S L=U M=E N=X O=G P=F Q=J R=O S=L T=B U=K V=Q W=Z X=C Y=P Z=N
- “No one truly forgets injuries in the presence of him who caused the injury.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=C B=D C=Z D=Y E=L F=Q G=J H=A I=V J=X K=S L=U M=N N=K O=M P=T Q=R R=G S=E T=F U=W V=H W=B X=I Y=O Z=P
- “We must make friends in prosperity if we would have their help in adversity.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=M B=I C=T D=X E=H F=A G=U H=P I=B J=C K=D L=N M=O N=E O=R P=J Q=F R=G S=Z T=V U=K V=W W=Y X=S Y=Q Z=L