Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
RHRWWNDYZHYAW!ULVBLVDHYINZDIRPWDYOUYYTNRZOL'WINFNDNZRONWYDWBYASIZRVWN.
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
Alexander Pope Cryptograms Set 7
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
SJLKJCKOMBKVK,OCUQOQKLGJCKOMBBOCU,NBKVLOTK,LKMJNK,OCUDOUUKCLWXCUNBKYOCU.
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: X = S
CRCAFUHXPZHCXNZXCPGRZFCXXTCRAUO,UXXNUHHJQXRACUPXABFMZPGHZFEUHHRNCQUO.
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: Q = R
CQSLPNHQYGSHQLNUR,YQENUPFQNHQYGSHYN,SQNKYPVYUDNSQNQPVDSVYFQGNQLVPBUYI.
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: I = T
TDYJLMUIODTGIITDLYZIGTZXIMXYGT,XVJDYSIODIOGLMYJ,YLSAYIAOIODSJGFGLRRYTD.
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
OWVNTDKPDLTLWOLTLBGWXKNTDAGXDWWNMHDNA;XEYAOWNTNPDHH:GBWPDAYBKENZNWHDNA.
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)
- “A mass enormous! which in modern days no two of earth's degenerate sons could raise.”— Alexander Pope, 1720, The Iliad of Homer (Pope's translation), Book XX. Line 337 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=C C=P D=N E=Q F=G G=Z H=M I=D J=B K=V L=H M=X N=E O=T P=Y Q=K R=A S=L T=F U=W V=I W=S X=J Y=O Z=R
- “Fire in each eye, and papers in each hand, They rave, recite, and madden round the land.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, Prologue to the Satires. Line 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=H C=N D=M E=Q F=K G=S H=B I=X J=I K=E L=R M=C N=T O=A P=W Q=P R=Z S=F T=V U=D V=Y W=O X=U Y=L Z=J
- “Eternal smiles his emptiness betray, As shallow streams run dimpling all the way.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, Prologue to the Satires. Line 315 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=U C=E D=K E=G F=N G=P H=L I=Z J=O K=V L=C M=D N=H O=Y P=M Q=W R=T S=J T=B U=A V=Q W=X X=S Y=F Z=I
- “Praise from a friend, or censure from a foe, Are lost on hearers that our merits know.”— Alexander Pope, 1720, The Iliad of Homer (Pope's translation), Book X. Line 293 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=K C=P D=H E=C F=U G=M H=F I=W J=B K=L L=I M=X N=E O=Q P=S Q=R R=D S=A T=V U=N V=T W=G X=J Y=O Z=Y
- “Learn of the little nautilus to sail, Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle III. Line 177 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=J C=W D=E E=M F=V G=I H=Y I=T J=R K=Z L=N M=O N=X O=H P=Q Q=B R=G S=D T=L U=F V=P W=K X=S Y=A Z=U
- “Urge him with truth to frame his fair replies; And sure he will: for Wisdom never lies.”— Alexander Pope, 1726, The Odyssey of Homer (Pope's translation), Book III. Line 25 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=O C=Y D=I E=N F=C G=F H=L I=Z J=K K=M L=T M=P N=E O=U P=W Q=B R=J S=Q T=H U=X V=G W=R X=A Y=D Z=V