Puzzle 1
Starter clue: O = I
OUOBBWFBFGJJRFOELMMPAQZBOJOFWZIPCMBBMUJRFV,JRFOEKZPAQZBOJOFWZIPZXMOPJRFV.
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
Confucius 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: J = E
QGQOJDVDGHXVRDHJVXGJJ;WXSMFDGJJQRQHXTKJQMVQMJHVQHFZDKVSJ,VBQVCXSMFGQVDGTIRJ.
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 = E
FOMLXOXMWGVOMVMDQUXWFTWIMCOXNUDVOXGFDVWXDDXG,KQVGTXDCTVMGGVTVOXAXMNVOTJVOXWFRO.
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: E = A
EIETHBAZVKHEF,JEITAPRATRWOTWKPBEPJBENWTAQVERW,JEIRATRWOTWKBASJIEFGJPIFHWVGGAOATW.
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: T = O
EWOXCOFAHDTYZTYEQCTJXWOZBDTYXTSUWZJ,OCQVWXWOEVODFHWOXACPOEFTEWFJDTYFBTYEQETFWAJ.
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: B = E
CABSLAEBMUEDMCBIKBMLPCANKWICMBNNBNEHNVBBUAHEICABKENCVWICVIEUDIBCABKNBYQBNAWCIBJ.
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)
- “I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=Q B=L C=F D=Y E=R F=E G=C H=P I=N J=T K=B L=G M=O N=K O=I P=D Q=U R=H S=J T=Z U=W V=M W=S X=V Y=X Z=A
- “A sage it is not mine to see; could I see a man of real talent and virtue, that would satisfy me.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=Q B=H C=W D=I E=P F=D G=S H=N I=Y J=E K=R L=B M=L N=X O=G P=J Q=A R=M S=U T=F U=Z V=T W=C X=O Y=K Z=V
- “I have heard that a superior man helps the distressed, but does not add to the wealth of the rich.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=W B=Y C=N D=S E=X F=I G=D H=K I=M J=F K=B L=V M=A N=L O=H P=Z Q=U R=C S=G T=O U=P V=T W=R X=E Y=Q Z=J
- “A man should say, I am not concerned that I have no place, I am concerned how I may fit myself for one.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=O B=H C=K D=Z E=A F=Y G=F H=S I=M J=I K=D L=X M=G N=V O=R P=T Q=P R=C S=W T=N U=B V=L W=E X=Q Y=J Z=U
- “Learn as if you could not reach your object, and were always fearing also lest you should lose it.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=I B=H C=N D=Y E=L F=S G=Z H=F I=X J=T K=P L=M M=K N=Q O=A P=G Q=D R=V S=B T=O U=J V=W W=E X=R Y=U Z=C
- “They who encounter men with smartnesses of speech for the most part procure themselves hatred.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=H B=E C=T D=U E=O F=Z G=X H=F I=R J=D K=M L=W M=N N=S O=B P=I Q=V R=J S=Y T=Q U=C V=P W=A X=G Y=L Z=K