Puzzle 1
Starter clue: I = E
UFYGDI'JKOJNUEIOFWGKIMJIYAPIJOGY,MIOJUFNCIEOMW,VZNROJJGUFGJNCITOYI.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Alexander Pope Cryptograms Set 4
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: L = T
LIHAHGFHD,QJZUAJZUMJLILIHENAUGDIPXL,JXJZLIHOPQQPZQGXXPWQGLLHDAPXL.
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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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: D = E
XVYDDERNQXVD,WELREMLBRWMRUQDLXTM,JGXJKYRZDMJGDGDYRFRYEBEFDJJDYQXTM.
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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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: A = E
JASHMEHCOOCQEOKAGFCQHAMJOKAQFZFACOHQFAH,CELTMHOOKAQFHQFAHLQHZFCNA.
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 5
Starter clue: X = E
YD,VFXTWOZWDWXICXJODYTXBLKFYBPXPJEHKELIERXWY-IYJJYOKDXXJGBFETWY-PEH!
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
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- U
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Q = E
OFUGXBXPJDSOFYFBXPQOQUNEJDEXPGHQ,-WQVFDGRQQKGUQEQ,HXGJZZFDGRQSQAUQQ.
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
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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)
- “On life's vast ocean diversely we sail, Reason the card, but passion is the gale.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle II. Line 107 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=Z C=H D=F E=C F=N G=I H=K I=E J=S K=V L=M M=R N=T O=A P=W Q=X R=P S=J T=G U=O V=B W=D X=Q Y=L Z=U
- “The leader, mingling with the vulgar host, Is in the common mass of matter lost.”— Alexander Pope, 1726, The Odyssey of Homer (Pope's translation), Book IV. Line 397 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=Y C=Q D=R E=V F=D G=A H=E I=H J=I K=J L=T M=W N=U O=C P=O Q=M R=Z S=P T=X U=G V=K W=F X=S Y=B Z=N
- “A green old age, unconscious of decays, That proves the hero born in better days.”— Alexander Pope, 1720, The Iliad of Homer (Pope's translation), Book XXIII. Line 929 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=I C=J D=E E=N F=B G=H H=Q I=Z J=T K=P L=C M=S N=L O=X P=M Q=D R=O S=K T=Y U=F V=G W=U X=A Y=R Z=V
- “Few sons attain the praise of their great sires, and most their sires disgrace.”— Alexander Pope, 1726, The Odyssey of Homer (Pope's translation), Book II. Line 315 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=K C=A D=Y E=N F=R G=P H=S I=L J=F K=H L=D M=O N=C O=T P=V Q=I R=J S=W T=M U=X V=Q W=Z X=U Y=B Z=G
- “Oh, blest with temper whose unclouded ray can make to-morrow cheerful as to-day!”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Moral Essays, Epistle II. Line 257 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=U C=P D=H E=A F=L G=F H=Y I=M J=R K=C L=N M=Q N=G O=W P=D Q=J R=K S=Z T=S U=V V=B W=T X=E Y=O Z=I
- “Virtuous and vicious every man must be, - Few in the extreme, but all in the degree.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle II. Line 231 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=O C=P D=N E=M F=I G=T H=B I=Z J=A K=X L=J M=Q N=Y O=V P=S Q=E R=H S=D T=K U=R V=W W=F X=U Y=C Z=L