Puzzle 1
Starter clue: X = E
ZDXBACSKBBPDTFZBUTXFLUXZDBFXZDLZDLQXIXXAVUTZZXAISZDXOXUFBAFZDXJFXCQXFVDBEBJJLAPXPTAZDXLHHLTUFVDXUXBHZDXSVUTZX.
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 62
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 = E
WCPQDTXWONXJADDZDXQOYOWCDX,OXVQOYOWCDXADDZJDXWCPJPO;OXVQTJNXKWCPYPOXCDTYOADXP,NVYPOQPVWCOWKYPPSPQNKCWJWNAAHPLYPP.
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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- X
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Y = E
SXNYHTYBZYJIIQDNSURDNJDDNYZYSBUTHSBDSUEDSTUOYDPYYUCSZDKYJUHCSEY,PNQ,BSZ,PNYUNYIYJCYBTKZNTKBYBIYDKBETKUDTKZBVTTUB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: R = A
WKAPVLCVVE-CADVYPVERWACPAZQGLKWOUAAYP,WRNNARBP,DCREXK-XKRCQVYDOWKVVRCEVPWPWRCP,YCVRQ,REYPAYCVRQRNNEGLKWUGWKAIWRPWGC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: E = N
EDVCZIQDBQDRZIFDZRWEIAIZJVQWEFEUXIBBVUVQIIERVQDEVUVQILIFWEEWEFDERVQIYUEVWECDEYI,SCBVXWTIVQIGDEPQUVQZUPBCKDLDXX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: T = O
UEXTCVUIIYWPJY,ITWYMUWYI,XTCFSZTGJYVNYTEMLOMXTCOFYMLTCNLMMTSZTG,XTCILOJJPYMLTCNLM,OZTMLYFMUWY,MTSZTGMLOMXTCSZTGZTM.
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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- 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)
- “The only good histories are those that have been written by the persons themselves who commanded in the affairs whereof they write.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. X. Of Books (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=O C=L D=H E=C F=S G=X H=F I=B J=M K=G L=A M=Q N=U O=P P=D Q=V R=Z S=Y T=I U=R V=W W=K X=E Y=J Z=T
- “The mountains look on Marathon, And Marathon looks on the sea; And musing there an hour alone, I dreamed that Greece might still be free.”— Lord Byron, 1819, Don Juan, Canto III. Stanza 86. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=W C=H D=O E=J F=Q G=Y H=B I=V J=S K=G L=F M=X N=I O=A P=E Q=M R=P S=C T=U U=Z V=D W=T X=N Y=R Z=K
- “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=X B=S C=V D=T E=C F=G G=M H=D I=L J=A K=U L=Q M=Z N=H O=B P=W Q=Y R=K S=I T=O U=N V=P W=J X=F Y=E Z=R
- “Those green-robed senators of mighty woods, Tall oaks, branch-charmed by the earnest stars, Dream, and so dream all night without a stir.”— John Keats, 1820, Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, Hyperion. Book I (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=K C=R D=B E=N F=Z G=I H=J I=U J=X K=H L=G M=Q N=L O=Y P=S Q=M R=A S=V T=P U=W V=E W=T X=C Y=D Z=F
- “Nature has had regard in everything no less to the end than to the beginning and the continuance, just like the man who throws up a ball.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=V B=S C=U D=A E=N F=G G=M H=Z I=E J=Y K=P L=B M=Q N=X O=F P=W Q=H R=D S=J T=K U=O V=T W=I X=L Y=C Z=R
- “If you dissemble, sometimes, your knowledge of that you are thought to know, you shall be thought, another time, to know that you know not.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=Q B=V C=U D=Z E=F F=R G=W H=P I=S J=L K=J L=H M=T N=G O=A P=B Q=X R=C S=K T=O U=I V=D W=M X=Y Y=E Z=N