Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
LGNFNBQYKBTTNFNEJNRNLANNEUENYEKYEULGNFGUHFUTWBTNBELGNBFYHLGUFBLPYEKQHRQNZHNELNTTNJL.
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 24
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: O = E
OJOIVOYCGRBITRBOXLGJOTHRTPOTLWOIOYC,EWGXWGRUDRTLOPBTIUIV;UITZYCUYCHGYUDRZXXORRYTEWOIO.
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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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: M = O
GRJRRKVMMQHMOLPZHLIALXILPIALZXEZALCRFMARLPIJVMMQHMOTMBZLZXIBHXZRJXRMAMOTAZEILRRXMJMFU.
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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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: K = I
IMUPKJXHOQGKZKSKCEUKHJJMEQKUNFMQKBKEJ,YOUIMEQMVMUHJSVEUUPMGHGX-GQHIKJLEJBUPMFHQJKJLNUEQ.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: L = T
LCSOXDMESTXOSROYNOMSWXZXWESFXLNHILXHLIRMRTLXWJERTFXTLJS,YJLXHLILCSTSKXIHIZREELCSFXTLJSO.
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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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Q = E
YQSMHQBCRCOQBCLFQMJFBCGSLEZLEZPQQBFQSLEZPRLKQ,INPBLPYQXLSNQLJQEQWLSWQOLWHMERCEXQWPLBMCE.
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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- R
- S
- T
- U
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- 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)
- “There is a difference between one and another hour of life in their authority and subsequent effect.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=W B=I C=X D=K E=N F=R G=H H=U I=Z J=C K=D L=T M=G N=E O=P P=Y Q=S R=B S=M T=F U=O V=J W=L X=V Y=A Z=Q
- “Every end is prospective of some other end, which is also temporary; a round and final success nowhere.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=G B=P C=D D=L E=W F=Q G=I H=F I=R J=V K=X L=T M=Z N=B O=E P=M Q=J R=S S=K T=O U=A V=Y W=H X=C Y=N Z=U
- “We need books of this tart cathartic virtue more than books of political science or of private economy.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=R B=L C=U D=X E=V F=M G=W H=S I=A J=N K=D L=T M=O N=J O=F P=H Q=K R=E S=Q T=P U=Y V=B W=Z X=C Y=G Z=I
- “We think our civilization near its meridian, but we are yet only at the cock-crowing and the morning star.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=J B=D C=Z D=F E=A F=M G=C H=O I=W J=N K=I L=G M=E N=S O=U P=H Q=R R=P S=L T=Q U=T V=Y W=X X=K Y=B Z=V
- “The simple rise as by specific levity not into a particular virtue, but into the region of all the virtues.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=K B=W C=H D=M E=L F=V G=Q H=N I=O J=U K=G L=T M=P N=Y O=S P=D Q=J R=A S=E T=R U=Z V=X W=C X=I Y=B Z=F
- “We like to come to a height of land and see the landscape, just as we value a general remark in conversation.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=Q B=T C=O D=Y E=N F=H G=F H=K I=J J=G K=P L=A M=I N=U O=M P=S Q=E R=C S=L T=X U=B V=Z W=R X=V Y=W Z=D