Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = E
BNTAIHAFKAJDDCPTBOMPTJPPTAKABFOHIBFPBOSPBHORAPZAAOGBKPWAJOIGBSA,ZTC,FBK,ZTAOTADAJGAFHWKTHWFAFDAPWFSHWOPHWKFQHHOF.
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
Character Cryptograms Set 18
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 = I
PGFOZNNEZYSTYXNZYXIGLBNZMBIUBWZHIFBGEUFJZNZIP,OUZKUUTQTKTNJYBQQGEQCZHZITYSTOGHNSGEGIUBHLNBQQZYXQTIIBYSZYXFCGYZI.
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: C = E
BDC[TLUFYC]UCRYLUCBHUGYSDHJXBFGUWNZHBBHSC;BDCOLPPDHTCCLFDCUGYFOHUXXLIILVYPFLCBFGOUCBFPCOLFD,...GULJFCUJHPXLIILVYPFLCB.
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 4
Starter clue: R = E
JRVXZRXBBRUKRPXKHSIKKVRQSGQOGGERFKYQJVOBVBXGGIQYHKVRIKRHFRIKOFKRNHOKCYQUSHUYIRXFPKVRRARHBOIRYQKVRVONVRIKJOIPYE.
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: W = A
XUTPGJEOLWFBTBVGEGBEDQWDLQJEWXWEBTPWEYWVVJWPJOGEDQWDIQWPWIDJP[WFWEWNDQBP],QJOJFJPCJODBQWCJQGFXJPGDFQWEOFBXJRUWRRBLJO.
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 6
Starter clue: T = E
JWJMAMTHAEWKGTPZTJFTWYJM,WKK,JQQTXJBWTELIYTRWYTKZZBMJKRBPJMTM,IYBWFJPWATRBWAPTYBMNJFTRWKQBRWKKGGKMTWKTFTPLIPKRNHAEBZW.
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
- S
- T
- U
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- 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)
- “If he does really think that there is no distinction between virtue and vice, why, sir, when he leaves our houses let us count our spoons.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. II. Chap. V. 1763 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=I C=Y D=L E=Q F=S G=V H=O I=D J=A K=R L=X M=K N=F O=N P=T Q=P R=B S=C T=H U=G V=Z W=U X=J Y=M Z=W
- “You will find angling to be like the virtue of humility, which has a calmness of spirit and a world of other blessings attending upon it.”— Izaak Walton, 1653, The Complete Angler, Part I. Chap. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=E C=P D=Z E=F F=U G=O H=R I=T J=M K=C L=B M=K N=L O=W P=Y Q=S R=Q S=D T=A U=H V=J W=V X=G Y=N Z=I
- “She [virtue] requires a rough and stormy passage; she will have either outward difficulties to wrestle with, . . . or internal difficulties.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. XI. Of Cruelty (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=S C=E D=H E=X F=T G=O H=A I=F J=N K=Z L=I M=J N=Y O=W P=L Q=B R=Q S=G T=V U=R V=C W=M X=D Y=U Z=P
- “We have accepted a trust the fulfillment of which calls for the sternest integrity of purpose and the exercise of the highest wisdom.”— William McKinley, 1899, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=X B=C C=Y D=J E=M F=N G=L H=R I=S J=W K=T L=Z M=Q N=G O=I P=D Q=F R=E S=U T=K U=P V=H W=B X=A Y=O Z=V
- “My friend was of opinion that when a man of rank appeared in that character [as an author], he deserved to have his merits handsomely allowed.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VIII. Chap. III. 1781 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=O C=V D=T E=N F=S G=I H=Q I=C J=E K=X L=W M=G N=U O=D P=R Q=H R=L S=B T=F U=Y V=P W=A X=M Y=K Z=J
- “It is useful to perceive this, too, immediately when the occasion arises, what virtue nature has given to man to oppose to every wrongful act.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=U B=A C=Q D=J E=L F=V G=P H=F I=W J=I K=O L=Y M=S N=G O=B P=R Q=M R=N S=Z T=E U=X V=K W=T X=D Y=H Z=C