Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
UNCJQINFCIGNRQJNSQKCIYMNJ;UNCJYNPNJCEGNRQJNSQKWNLDWN.
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
Expert Cryptograms Set 49
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
ULAUZQVDULPEKVLZXUQVZAGNQVXZSDKGLNEWHLAEQMQDUQNVLMX.
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: B = E
HRENBQANRSBTNOBRKBQLGWWNCRNOHJHARKBEGATBNVRKBTWGABQ.
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: A = O
MVKYOJNJKTGJSBAQVPQMIFVFQZYFALARJFAFQJPKAIOYTAKTAAY.
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 = N
TLQKBHSLXTQJLTFMSRRFNQKBHLHBC,UEFSFNQRZJSFJITPZHLSTL.
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: B = A
HYMOLIWBQUWXYBPLOCGEKLAJOMIBQZWJBUGQPCBOBAKWBONKLIW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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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)
- “Hear one man before you answer; hear several before you decide.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=P C=A D=I E=L F=M G=B H=X I=N J=R K=U L=C M=W N=E O=Z P=V Q=O R=F S=Y T=Q U=H V=G W=D X=J Y=S Z=K
- “He who is the cause of his own misfortune may bewail it himself.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=W B=K C=Q D=T E=A F=Z G=N H=B I=P J=D K=U L=E M=L N=M O=G P=C Q=I R=X S=R T=V U=H V=S W=Y X=F Y=J Z=O
- “It does not become the sparrow to mix in the dance of the cranes.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=N B=E C=W D=Q E=D F=L G=A H=I I=Z J=X K=H L=P M=U N=O O=M P=Y Q=S R=T S=B T=C U=J V=F W=R X=K Y=V Z=G
- “Bird never flew so high but it had to come to the ground for food.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=S C=Y D=Q E=Z F=T G=L H=X I=U J=E K=R L=C M=B N=V O=N P=G Q=H R=M S=W T=F U=K V=I W=J X=P Y=D Z=A
- “One grain does not fill the granary, but it helps its companion.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=R C=Y D=V E=U F=T G=J H=A I=C J=S K=G L=N M=F N=H O=Z P=M Q=E R=L S=I T=O U=B V=W W=K X=D Y=Q Z=P
- “Justice and equality of rights can be had only at a great price.”— Woodrow Wilson, 1917, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=G B=A C=Y D=K E=F F=V G=O H=J I=C J=H K=R L=I M=S N=P O=T P=L Q=N R=Z S=X T=M U=D V=W W=E X=Q Y=U Z=B