Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Y = O
CIUYWYLSWYCPWIUTGOIFYYLTWLVICYYUX,CIHPWWYLLIOOYRFHYRFXIGKLVIXLPFX,WYFLVIVYRFYBLVIUPKGKLVIXRW.
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 40
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: B = T
BEVCVUCVIVAXSBEVAYCNRAEYUBBUXSBYBEVBVUJEXSPAXBEYKBAYCRH,USRBEVURTUSBUPVUCXHXSPICYLSYS-UJBXYS.
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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- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: X = E
KUBXKIJKWVEBKNXKFITMWQJGQIEXXLHXFIXOIMEXHXBRMBJXOSTIDMGISTIWXQQ,RMBMWXIDKIFMJXQIMQMJXWMITFX.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: Z = E
ZEZOWGPXROSNZPR,RKKQ,EZXXZQ,GIGRVKZXRATRIKOFAGDAGRATXCZZPNTVZ,GXFZQQ,TPVWZRAZFAKNTVZGRGXPKRRAZOZ.
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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- Y
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = A
LEOMLOLGSQ,LOMGBDYGSSZUHBHBEOVKOSWJGMWLHHWJ:LEGBLHDSWXOTHPOHVDJ,KVLOLGSQOWHMSZKMGUGYWOMHYGPGSS?
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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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: E = O
SMALILJQEEVDEYUMNYNYXAWDOINRLBMUULJAEHMNJRTQEWYZ?E,UOMUZLDLNUAOEWRZZSLRRNYAWDOMXEJXLEWACMRMDL!
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)
- “We do not know an edible root in the woods, we cannot tell our course by the stars, nor the hour of the day by the sun.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=Q B=F C=W D=M E=P F=R G=B H=C I=E J=Z K=Y L=T M=J N=X O=L P=A Q=V R=U S=K T=I U=D V=H W=N X=S Y=O Z=G
- “There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage arising from non-action.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=T C=R D=Q E=H F=B G=J H=S I=F J=C K=U L=M M=Z N=L O=X P=G Q=K R=D S=N T=V U=A V=E W=P X=I Y=O Z=Y
- “A great many brave actions must be expected to be performed without witness, for one that comes to some notice.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=L B=R C=Q D=H E=B F=C G=U H=P I=T J=M K=A L=X M=O N=V O=D P=K Q=S R=F S=W T=I U=G V=Y W=N X=E Y=Z Z=J
- “Every instrument, tool, vessel, if it does that for which it has been made, is well, and yet he who made it is not there.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=H B=Z C=B D=C E=V F=W G=I H=X I=F J=Q K=O L=J M=K N=M O=R P=N Q=L R=T S=U T=A U=G V=D W=Y X=S Y=P Z=E
- “When we walk, we naturally go to the fields and woods: what would become of us, if we walked only in a garden or a mall?”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=V B=T C=J D=U E=H F=Z G=A H=O I=P J=S K=I L=W M=N N=Q O=E P=M Q=K R=X S=L T=C U=G V=F W=D X=B Y=R Z=Y
- “Was ever book containing such vile matter so fairly bound? O, that deceit should dwell in such a gorgeous palace!”— William Shakespeare, 1595, Romeo and Juliet, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=M C=P D=C E=O F=X G=J H=F I=V J=R K=Q L=E M=A N=I O=H P=Z Q=B R=L S=W T=Y U=T V=K W=U X=G Y=N Z=D