Puzzle 1
Starter clue: F = N
ISTMFLAPCQZTIM,JXTNXLTLFPAQPRKSPZPFD,AXMJPSZLXHLJHFAMLCHFQHFTLZMYPFD.
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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- T
- U
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- X
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- Z
Alexander Pope 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: Z = T
GXEGUMMSYIZGVHQUOVQVIIAVIZUQ'IQXZ!ZGVEXNQPWXNBVZZYJB,HSZGVEXNQPWXNBXZ.
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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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: C = E
IWZFEOCY-MCVTEFEKBSTELEWLBSOCEBGVMC,PCBIWMOLBICCCMWNLDFCEDCHPBICBVFM.
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 4
Starter clue: A = N
AJSBNPBTUBYSLJAUUZJPSZDCBA;PDKLARPZJRJDUBMLARADUULUAJSSZDGDKJGDMLAR.
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 5
Starter clue: V = A
IVJ,IZVUUFJUDWWUOMVHSVWWOCGVCWIVDU,XRHIROWZOWHDRFXZVCGXVHWVSOWZOQVUO?
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 6
Starter clue: N = E
USNTDDLWQBTBDILSNOY,RFGDHOGUBJHNOY,MRUSBDOYCDWBNOHGNYBQZTNHRGSRCSNOY.
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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- T
- U
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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)
- “Friend to my life, which did not you prolong, The world had wanted many an idle song.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, Prologue to the Satires. Line 27 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=K C=M D=G E=Z F=N G=X H=A I=F J=W K=P L=D M=E N=C O=B P=O Q=Y R=U S=R T=I U=Q V=J W=V X=H Y=S Z=L
- “How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot.”— Alexander Pope, 1717, Eloisa to Abelard, Line 207 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=G C=Z D=C E=W F=X G=H H=B I=S J=N K=J L=Q M=P N=R O=M P=D Q=L R=K S=Y T=U U=A V=E W=F X=O Y=I Z=T
- “How index-learning turns no student pale, Yet holds the eel of science by the tail.”— Alexander Pope, 1728, The Dunciad, Book I. Line 279 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=T C=E D=C E=N F=I G=P H=B I=H J=K K=G L=S M=L N=F O=D P=Y Q=Z R=M S=U T=R U=V V=A W=O X=Q Y=X Z=W
- “Not always actions show the man; we find who does a kindness is not therefore kind.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Moral Essays, Epistle I. Line 109 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=A C=M D=E E=P F=X G=R H=V I=Q J=O K=F L=I M=K N=L O=B P=W Q=G R=D S=T T=Y U=S V=U W=Z X=J Y=C Z=H
- “Say, shall my little bark attendant sail, Pursue the triumph and partake the gale?”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle IV. Line 385 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=J C=N D=I E=W F=M G=D H=R I=S J=Y K=F L=O M=B N=Q O=E P=V Q=G R=U S=K T=C U=L V=A W=T X=P Y=Z Z=H
- “The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, With loads of learned lumber in his head.”— Alexander Pope, 1711, An Essay on Criticism, Part III. Line 53 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=L C=S D=O E=V F=G G=N H=R I=C J=Y K=Q L=K M=W N=E O=A P=Z Q=U R=I S=H T=B U=T V=P W=F X=J Y=D Z=M