Puzzle 1
Starter clue: U = E
YZUSQDUCHUWOFELSOZUSFTMUDLCKQBPJDUUPMHUEULEHUYZLQVSLYZPNUJLSUOLPMUOOUDYLDHK,QPTTLNUKOLHUPKPKQCCUDUSOHQCU.
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 56
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: I = E
PSTOIOGLMCIKUCPAIBCI'BYPOW;FVDUCIOBCIWTOSIBPODCIUPOW,TOWBCTYIBDCIUPOEBTOWUPAAOLDBDTM,PHVNNDCIHKLBDPDVDITUTM.
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
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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = E
MVEFF,WEKOOYEICUKOYEHYQFOSHTFEGTIYMKTFV-AYQIMUQTGMQGUQGTSTQGTQIMRT;MQGICTNEVVUQTXUIMWFOGTXTFYSKUQIYICTWYHT.
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
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- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: H = O
TMOZSMSODXCHYSFMTJUCOTXORHAFOKKSUTOJQSFHFMSCHAFM.TBJHIJHCHAFM,JHJHDFM,JHSOCF,JHISCF,FHIMTQMTHISOJWOKKSUTOJQS.
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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- U
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- X
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: J = E
WPJOKUCWUJBVKCKWJLOCVMMJCCOVQCJQO-XLGJUTDJTWKCVTOQKTMPKTXJTOLUMJDJTWLOWPJQZAZTYWPJMVWWKTXLVWLOMLUUVIWKLT.
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
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: E = A
EZHMVGQCFQGGYLMCQLMGUEVZBOYJELEJ;RBCAYVYJMLEJIUYKEJGCEJZOVYGOMVQCFCUMVMEVMEUBJZVMZCUECIQPPGCEJZEZHMVGQCF.
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)
- “When I reflect upon the number of disagreeable people who I know have gone to a better world, I am moved to lead a different life.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=J B=S C=F D=R E=P F=U G=Q H=L I=Z J=G K=D L=O M=B N=V O=T P=A Q=I R=X S=N T=M U=E V=K W=C X=Y Y=W Z=H
- “I can enjoy her while she's kind; But when she dances in the wind, And shakes the wings and will not stay, I puff the prostitute away.”— John Dryden, 1685, Imitation of Horace, Book III. Ode 29, Line 81 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=S C=H D=T E=G F=B G=J H=P I=E J=Z K=R L=O M=Y N=F O=N P=I Q=X R=V S=C T=A U=W V=U W=D X=Q Y=K Z=M
- “A full, busy youth is your only prelude to a self-contained and independent age; and the muff inevitably develops into the bore.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=C B=X C=H D=Z E=U F=L G=D H=R I=T J=W K=S L=K M=A N=M O=Y P=J Q=N R=G S=P T=E U=I V=F W=B X=V Y=O Z=Q
- “I have heard something said about allegiance to the South. I know no South, no North, no East, no West, to which I owe any allegiance.”— Henry Clay, 1848, Speech, 1848 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=K C=S D=R E=F F=T G=Z H=O I=W J=N K=L L=J M=H N=Q O=A P=X Q=C R=B S=E T=I U=G V=P W=Y X=D Y=M Z=V
- “The first requisite of successful self-government is unflinching enforcement of the law and the cutting out of corruption.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1903, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=W B=Q C=S D=M E=J F=Y G=V H=B I=P J=E K=I L=O M=C N=X O=F P=H Q=L R=K S=Z T=N U=R V=U W=T X=G Y=D Z=A
- “Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man; but for one man who can stand prosperity there are a hundred that will stand adversity.”— Thomas Carlyle, 1841, On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History, Heroes and Hero-Worship. The Hero as a Man of Letters (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=U C=T D=X E=A F=Y G=S H=V I=W J=N K=C L=M M=E N=Z O=P P=L Q=I R=B S=Q T=K U=H V=R W=G X=J Y=O Z=D