Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = T
GAGFVSZITBZSHZLJZBGPLTCXPRKLGSVSZFIHLPSISZGHIFOR,XOSGFCSZGHIFOR.
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
Ralph Waldo Emerson Cryptograms Set 16
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: L = E
MKKCLJIKQCLGWLCBLKRLBDJGWLACIVDRLCLJGDEBDOALGZ,MJPJDCMJACIVDRLB.
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: F = E
DWFHFMRKIHFUMCCFHFGOFMGDWFJELTMDZICIEHQTFLREHFRDWLGMGDWFLKIEGD.
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: B = E
WGBUNVBXEFFKWKFOZOBEYBVKMWKHGNVWGKMDGWWGBXEFZ,AMWOBEYBVKMWWGBHBU.
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: O = T
OEWPHYNUQPAWLPQWJWLFVAHLXP,FYOFVOEWOEMQDMOPWNBOEUOMPMQZYMLWXUBOWL.
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: F = E
FDFHSLJUEITEBZFLBKHFOGSUPFOFCUPIWUPFBFTUEZFTUWHIZYPEJPEUCHIJFFOB.
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)
- “Every thought which genius and piety throw into the world, alters the world.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=V B=G C=S D=Q E=K F=R G=E H=W I=O J=C K=P L=I M=J N=X O=L P=N Q=M R=D S=T T=U U=Z V=Y W=B X=A Y=F Z=H
- “All men plume themselves on the improvement of society, and no man improves.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=I B=S C=M D=O E=F F=Z G=T H=X I=P J=N K=L L=E M=A N=B O=C P=D Q=U R=V S=W T=K U=J V=R W=H X=G Y=Q Z=Y
- “There is more difference in the quality of our pleasures than in the amount.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=G B=J C=F D=T E=U F=E G=N H=R I=O J=Q K=M L=A M=I N=K O=C P=Z Q=P R=S S=V T=L U=D V=W W=H X=B Y=X Z=Y
- “The wise man not only leaves out of his thought the many, but leaves out the few.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=B B=E C=J D=G E=A F=N G=H H=F I=K J=R K=O L=X M=U N=I O=L P=C Q=D R=P S=Z T=Q U=W V=S W=T X=M Y=V Z=Y
- “The soul answers never by words, but by the thing itself that is inquired after.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=W B=F C=P D=G E=H F=B G=Z H=O I=M J=V K=X L=R M=I N=L O=T P=S Q=N R=K S=J T=C U=A V=Y W=E X=D Y=U Z=Q
- “Every action is measured by the depth of the sentiment from which it proceeds.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First Series, Spiritual Laws (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=S C=P D=V E=I F=E G=B H=R I=O J=C K=U L=A M=Q N=G O=D P=H Q=X R=K S=Y T=N U=T V=J W=F X=L Y=W Z=M