Puzzle 1
Starter clue: X = E
CAMSPEXONWXWVMXOKXOXBXIPCIKXOXCOWEXOWICGJKOXWP.
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
Expert Cryptograms Set 32
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 = I
HIEACSPLMSIAMYALMHLPXZLAQLSHULTALSOISPTYUYBLAF.
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: X = E
VXMVPMUSMJPOLWXVANJXYQ,ZAYYEXMJGYAFMXDJAFVAJXCX.
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
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: T = R
CBOXUTHGINOTUGTYJWUGTDTUXL,YGMGTPUGLWRTOLCTJPIC.
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: J = E
NRLEXCLEJSCJPWJJKJPEFXN,XLGVRGVSLVJXRLSTFWGFORG.
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 6
Starter clue: W = E
YMEBWQKLWQWRJOWZWYPQWYPQFK,JEOCJEOKZWYPQWFEMAWK.
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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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)
- “Amid the roses fierce Repentance rears her snaky crest.”— James Thomson, 1730, The Seasons, Spring. Line 996 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=P C=A D=B E=H F=X G=K H=J I=N J=Y K=C L=Q M=I N=O O=R P=T Q=U R=L S=D T=V U=Z V=F W=S X=E Y=G Z=W
- “Fortune is not satisfied with inflicting one calamity.”— Publilius Syrus, 42 BC, Sententiae (Maxims), 274 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=M C=U D=X E=R F=Y G=J H=F I=O J=P K=V L=I M=S N=Q O=G P=E Q=H R=K S=N T=C U=L V=Z W=B X=D Y=A Z=W
- “He that cuts above himself, will get splinters in his eye.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=K C=Y D=R E=G F=N G=P H=J I=Z J=S K=Q L=O M=T N=M O=B P=A Q=F R=D S=U T=X U=C V=H W=V X=E Y=L Z=W
- “The work under our labour grows, Luxurious by restraint.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book IX. Line 208 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=H C=T D=G E=Z F=P G=U H=K I=N J=A K=C L=S M=X N=D O=E P=I Q=F R=Y S=Q T=R U=O V=M W=B X=W Y=L Z=J
- “Sail while the breeze blows, wind and tide wait for no man.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=P B=X C=H D=J E=L F=O G=N H=V I=K J=E K=Z L=I M=C N=S O=M P=B Q=U R=A S=T T=F U=Y V=D W=R X=W Y=Q Z=G
- “Fingers were made before forks, and hands before knives.”— Jonathan Swift, 1738, Polite Conversation, Dialogue II (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=G C=H D=U E=N F=K G=Y H=C I=P J=A K=S L=W M=I N=Q O=D P=O Q=R R=M S=X T=Z U=L V=J W=E X=T Y=F Z=B