Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Y = A
NYDBKCBMRZCKMRZCK,YMLKCBLYSLYS,YMLSHAVRJJJREBTJBYFYMKJS.
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
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Expert Cryptograms Set 56
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: H = O
XEHFBLCHEWCSQHZESHFXHEKXNHMJ.KRQHCNPMEQKSRQTWEQKRQMBJQ.
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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- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: A = E
VLARISBWDXQLMIJHAYSHAYDYWAYWA,UEVOAHBAJEQSVMOAYDYWAYWA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: V = E
UFXFUGVSMDQVYSVLRBQMBQVLGXQFBKINYOVBKXMHVFCVSFUVBKFUV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: L = E
PGLIMP'FAKBRULRBE!OBULCAMOYVZ,SLRPVLVHJZ;PGLIMP'FAKBRULRBE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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- Y
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: A = E
VACCTAIAMAHIYCYDKMAEGIAPGFNZP,ZDUIABAYNCMAEGIAPGFHIYCA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- L
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- Y
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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)
- “Make the night night, and the day day, and you will live pleasantly.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=U B=E C=H D=K E=V F=S G=Q H=O I=X J=L K=T L=D M=N N=M O=J P=Z Q=R R=I S=Y T=P U=F V=W W=C X=B Y=A Z=G
- “From ignorance our comfort flows. The only wretched are the wise.”— Matthew Prior, 1692, To the Hon. Charles Montague (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=I C=N D=B E=R F=M G=X H=O I=J J=S K=T L=G M=W N=L O=V P=Y Q=E R=H S=C T=D U=Z V=Q W=A X=F Y=P Z=U
- “The plays of children are nonsense, but very educative nonsense.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=E B=Y C=W D=O E=U F=G G=K H=R I=L J=D K=X L=H M=I N=J O=V P=Z Q=C R=P S=A T=M U=B V=T W=S X=F Y=N Z=Q
- “No wonder if he breaks his head who stumbles twice over one stone.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=S C=V D=F E=Q F=O G=D H=C I=U J=P K=T L=A M=I N=M O=L P=Z Q=H R=K S=R T=J U=N V=E W=Y X=W Y=B Z=G
- “The fit's upon me now! Come quickly, gentle lady; The fit's upon me now.”— Beaumont and Fletcher, 1639, Wit Without Money, Act V. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=O C=Q D=B E=W F=S G=H H=A I=F J=D K=P L=E M=I N=J O=C P=T Q=Z R=N S=G T=V U=M V=L W=X X=R Y=K Z=Y
- “Let there be writing before you pay, and receipt before you write.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=C C=T D=N E=F F=U G=O H=W I=R J=Q K=G L=S M=B N=P O=Z P=Y Q=M R=X S=V T=H U=D V=L W=K X=J Y=I Z=A