Puzzle 1
Starter clue: X = E
QXLWFNQZLLQXGXJHZLCNLWJXLDLNSXTXJDVCVNU;FTXPXLLXJWCMXJFLNCMFTXJDVCNAANZJFLTNCVX.
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
Easy Cryptograms Set 23
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: P = A
PUPDQYHWCZQPL,RPUDHNKHDKXODXZNYPNRYPMXDHACPKX,RPUKHDKXODXZYHGRUPLVRNULQXCVVHOHDX.
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: J = E
DIJMIJNQVJQH,IJNQZKNHHKJDYGQJHIZMZUZM;ZMODIJMIJNQDYGQH,IJNQKNHHKJVJHHJGHIZMZVJZQH.
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 = E
FNQPNMQCVPFBQOGJMM,FOJGCQBQ,UHGJLGVQIBJOGMQ,FLXLPGAQGVFBXQLQXJLGPGVQUPLQPRKFLVPPX.
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 = N
KUZFYYFYLQHUKIV,QYHUZFYIEHUKIV;ZIOZGHUEDVUKSEBBYBBIEHUKIV,BHKGGEJIEHUKIVZPKKINZIH.
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: P = A
ZOGAPNYCFYD,WMYOMQFEDPOZHMFBS,TFYPOQFEDPOZSPCA;PWSZSPCAPBZYYBAYDAQMCAPOZRCMHMBSAC.
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)
- “Let us a little permit Nature to take her own way; she better understands her own affairs than we.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. XIII. Of Experience (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=V C=N D=O E=J F=S G=P H=M I=C J=R K=Q L=T M=D N=A O=G P=B Q=L R=X S=K T=H U=Y V=W W=U X=E Y=Z Z=I
- “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=P B=Z C=L D=N E=K F=X G=W H=O I=Q J=B K=C L=Y M=V N=T O=R P=A Q=S R=I S=G T=J U=M V=F W=U X=E Y=H Z=D
- “When he is best, he is a little worse than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=J C=P D=W E=Y F=Z G=R H=T I=H J=E K=L L=K M=N N=I O=D P=C Q=S R=F S=U T=V U=M V=B W=X X=G Y=O Z=A
- “A people who are still, as it were, but in the gristle, and not yet hardened into the bone of manhood.”— Edmund Burke, 1775, Speech on Conciliation with America, Speech on the Conciliation of America. Vol. II. p. 117 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=R C=W D=J E=V F=A G=T H=U I=G J=I K=M L=N M=L N=P O=S P=O Q=E R=F S=C T=Z U=B V=H W=Q X=D Y=K Z=X
- “I have everything, yet have nothing; and although I possess nothing, still of nothing am I in want.”— Terence, 161 BC, Eunuchus, Act II. Sc. 2, 12. (243) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=S C=K D=U E=O F=V G=L H=T I=N J=F K=I L=R M=Z N=W O=D P=M Q=Y R=J S=P T=C U=H V=G W=X X=B Y=E Z=A
- “I speak truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare; and I dare a little the more as I grow older.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap II. Of Repentance (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=L C=R D=H E=C F=U G=P H=W I=Z J=X K=Q L=J M=O N=K O=S P=A Q=M R=G S=D T=B U=F V=Y W=N X=V Y=T Z=I