Puzzle 1
Starter clue: R = E
HVRVLKGAMHVRXGFKAPRSGLZVXURKBGLBZAGFRUDLHRXHDYAAS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
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- F
- G
- H
- I
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Ralph Waldo Emerson Cryptograms Set 7
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: Q = S
TWTOBLMHAFMLGQKRQHKYOGQHD;TWTOBMTKWTDGQKRQHKYOGQHD.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: X = T
WLXAPWEPJMXCMJXJMFVBGOYXXABPWXBEVPXDLKDLYVLUWRPWG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: S = A
TSFEQOUGSPEFSAZOKZCEHLJUKJUGSZLSNGSTHTOWOQFJOGSPO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: H = N
XBSIHIWZIEHWJNJH'OGBJYOEHWPTLBLJOHIWLPHMBTOBWIZIEHW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: M = H
RMHKIVSRMLIQQCLHBMODROGQMRTHLDRKFIKJMKJDMOVVKJLRLD.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
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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 harm of the improved machinery may compensate its good.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=O B=Y C=Z D=S E=X F=P G=M H=T I=W J=U K=R L=A M=F N=L O=B P=V Q=K R=E S=D T=Q U=N V=H W=J X=I Y=G Z=C
- “Every thought is also a prison; every heaven is also a prison.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=U B=Y C=Z D=N E=K F=G G=I H=O I=C J=D K=A L=T M=H N=W O=R P=X Q=S R=L S=Q T=E U=F V=J W=V X=M Y=P Z=B
- “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=H B=E C=L D=Y E=G F=C G=D H=Q I=K J=S K=F L=O M=A N=Z O=B P=I Q=V R=M S=J T=X U=W V=R W=N X=T Y=U Z=P
- “Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First Series, History (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=Q C=O D=J E=U F=T G=S H=D I=P J=H K=C L=W M=Z N=Y O=E P=M Q=R R=X S=A T=N U=I V=K W=V X=F Y=G Z=L
- “We do not count a man's years until he has nothing else to count.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1860, The Conduct of Life, Old Age (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=E C=J D=V E=U F=X G=Y H=N I=O J=A K=B L=H M=G N=M O=S P=I Q=F R=K S=D T=L U=Z V=Q W=T X=W Y=R Z=C
- “The only thing grief has taught me is to know how shallow it is.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=P B=F C=R D=S E=X F=K G=U H=E I=N J=W K=O L=I M=H N=Z O=A P=Q Q=G R=T S=Y T=M U=D V=L W=B X=C Y=V Z=J