Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = E
EHERIYAGIHDIZZEPGRRHWYGHWLLBEHDWFHEPOFAVIPKDGIAH-TFAPEPYLAWJWPGBDWDIRDIKHDGEUU-UFQXHWTGRGANGKTVVWF.
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 27
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: Z = E
WJZFPTZQWFFZRZIUSUJZY;VGYZDZYTSSOYPIWGJVPKSIEWIU,WFUVZWYYMIZYPVZSPVZINWIPD,KGIYPSKWTT,PVWPVZVWYLZZFQZP.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = E
TQTJDMSTIWMKCUBEUAKOMT,TQTJDNCKOA,TQTJDKOWIKCWOWAULJYFAS,ATKMSTUASTBOWADYHMKBUT,ASTQKJWTADYHKNNTKJKOMT.
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: B = O
YXMICARXBVMWCGYLVYCQMACAZRXBZBMVABYRCLYOBGVBULMYSLACASYXLAN,XCVCWBRMGRXLUXVBULMYSUCAABYUXBBVMKFYOMMJ.
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: T = E
QTWKEAPSTEKUTBEHBOBHGKRI;IFKUTXGSXJBEI;ZGCTOTUPXGSXJBEBECLTWBTRHDFTICLUFGDLTOTUPXFBECFWXGSXJBELBICFUP.
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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- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: K = E
BKNSKIEGKQXNVKGIEKKYGUNGGUKSKZRNQIGUKSCIPGUNQVNJKGUNQGUNGBUZMUZRXKNRPSKVESIXGUKCKNSIEIPSQNGPSNYTZSGU.
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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- 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)
- “It is a great happiness to get off without injury and heart-burning from one who has had the ill-luck to be served by you.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=R B=W C=Z D=H E=I F=U G=E H=T I=A J=M K=D L=F M=X N=V O=J P=N Q=C R=S S=Q T=B U=L V=Y W=O X=K Y=G Z=P
- “A gentleman never dodges; his eyes look straight forward, and he assures the other party, first of all, that he has been met.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=Z B=J C=Q D=Y E=W F=N G=I H=X I=R J=G K=F L=B M=U N=P O=K P=T Q=M R=V S=O T=L U=D V=H W=A X=C Y=S Z=E
- “Every chemical substance, every plant, every animal in its growth, teaches the unity of cause, the variety of appearance.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=T B=U C=L D=Y E=B F=W G=X H=F I=M J=R K=A L=G M=C N=P O=N P=D Q=V R=Z S=H T=E U=S V=K W=I X=J Y=O Z=Q
- “The man whose part is taken and who does not wait for society in anything, has a power which society cannot choose but feel.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=N B=O C=A D=Q E=V F=U G=R H=Z I=M J=L K=B L=I M=E N=G O=F P=X Q=K R=W S=Y T=J U=C V=S W=P X=H Y=T Z=D
- “We fancy men are individuals; so are pumpkins; but every pumpkin in the field goes through every point of pumpkin history.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=C B=I C=T D=G E=N F=O G=U H=D I=S J=K K=A L=H M=Z N=X O=V P=Y Q=W R=L S=M T=E U=R V=Q W=F X=P Y=J Z=B
- “We are often made to feel that there is another youth and age than that which is measured from the year of our natural birth.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=V B=W C=Y D=K E=F F=Z G=T H=P I=O J=G K=E L=Q M=C N=A O=J P=U Q=N R=S S=R T=B U=H V=D W=X X=M Y=L Z=I