Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Y = E
YRIFYUYVLXXZIMFYYNMZSYXOVAFGOMWY;LXUZXIEYTDGLXIGVGUYUTVIYFLGMVMVY.
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
- Z
Alexander Pope 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: L = N
HRQFCPVY,ZOJVXYQHLPOO-XZSGPHUCAMJRL,JLIUWYLRKYKZLIPKUZOJKCZPIYIKJLY.
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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- Y
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: V = A
SVZQPQAEEAEKVF'EZKIAQZVCQVGAZFEFVQA,VFJYAVWPXJQVDEWEDZPNVEZFLCANVZQ.
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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- Y
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: S = I
GRJWDBSVPMKUUSLV,TJSGORKGSGOSBB,GRJWDBSVPMKUUSLVHLVIDJWUWJKULVUGSBB.
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: A = O
QJUQOAYYZAPURZLJ,QMTQZAYBXWZLJOBQJ;LNRAAZQZAAYJUOZW,LNIUTASNZWJQFBJQ.
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: J = E
JHQAGMCCPJIMNOUMNUUDOBJVZIUZJ,KZNCMXJOUDOBYGVIYQJUNDJUZKUNOHFJNIZJ.
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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- V
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- 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)
- “Extremes in nature equal ends produce; In man they join to some mysterious use.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle II. Line 205 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=F C=Z D=J E=H F=R G=O H=G I=T J=V K=W L=I M=U N=Q O=D P=K Q=B R=X S=L T=Y U=M V=S W=C X=N Y=E Z=A
- “Sir Plume, of amber snuff-box justly vain, And the nice conduct of a clouded cane.”— Alexander Pope, 1714, The Rape of the Lock, Canto IV. Line 123 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=K C=L D=Q E=Z F=P G=J H=S I=D J=A K=C L=N M=V N=G O=F P=U Q=R R=I S=X T=W U=T V=M W=H X=B Y=E Z=O
- “Fair tresses man's imperial race insnare, And beauty draws us with a single hair.”— Alexander Pope, 1714, The Rape of the Lock, Canto II. Line 27 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=K C=L D=W E=S F=N G=C H=J I=P J=D K=M L=G M=Z N=H O=Q P=T Q=R R=V S=F T=O U=X V=A W=U X=Y Y=B Z=I
- “The ruling passion, be it what it will, The ruling passion conquers reason still.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Moral Essays, Epistle III. Line 153 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=L C=M D=U E=F F=D G=T H=C I=Q J=E K=A L=O M=P N=Y O=W P=G Q=J R=H S=I T=B U=S V=N W=R X=V Y=X Z=K
- “Seas roll to waft me, suns to light me rise; My footstool earth, my canopy the skies.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle I. Line 139 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=I C=J D=B E=X F=K G=Z H=V I=C J=E K=Q L=M M=U N=Y O=R P=W Q=S R=F S=P T=N U=A V=D W=H X=G Y=L Z=T
- “Envy will merit as its shade pursue, But like a shadow proves the substance true.”— Alexander Pope, 1711, An Essay on Criticism, Part II. Line 266 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=D C=L D=H E=F F=C G=W H=N I=R J=E K=B L=X M=I N=T O=A P=M Q=V R=Z S=G T=J U=S V=P W=Q X=K Y=O Z=U