Puzzle 1
Starter clue: O = A
RXANOSWUNOFWWSDHOSEQIOBW,CXOCUFWOPUAZRZTCWUVAZFJQITNVOBW?
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Expert Cryptograms Set 62
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: I = O
MIKKIGMIPTFHDZEFORIEDOFNCFOEMGMIPM,KWFNIPFOKIYRIEDKWDIMZ.
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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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: G = I
DJDVUWIBPZIWLGMGPBRIKMPZGORMRGKADBMNVUTGMRGMKPTBTDIEPBK.
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: N = I
GMSKNXJGNYJMBVNXWSPYNJMJ,EXZOBMESJGNYJMBVHDTNRNXTXPIGNXT.
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: M = A
BECMXZRVMYMSDEBTIJZBGFFDTVMQ,BESPDXDRFSYZPTFDTPVMSFMXXMQ.
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: J = O
XTJKJDLZTHZXJNIUOEIOJXZQJZAUNL,VUGKHDLUOEMKJRNHZTUOGXTLNL.
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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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)
- “Who can escape envy and blame, that speaks or writes for public fame?”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=M C=T D=V E=D F=P G=Q H=Y I=L J=U K=J L=Z M=X N=C O=A P=K Q=B R=W S=N T=I U=S V=F W=E X=H Y=G Z=R
- “Not to know me argues yourselves unknown, The lowest of your throng.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book IV. Line 830 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=X C=V D=R E=U F=E G=K H=A I=O J=D K=T L=B M=N N=L O=S P=W Q=J R=Y S=C T=M U=P V=Z W=H X=Q Y=F Z=G
- “Every man of ambition has to fight his century with its own weapons.”— Oscar Wilde, 1895, An Ideal HusbandCipher key: A=C B=N C=Z D=E E=P F=Q G=I H=D I=A J=V K=S L=B M=T N=U O=G P=O Q=J R=H S=K T=W U=Y V=R W=M X=L Y=X Z=F
- “He ruins himself in promises, and clears himself by giving nothing.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Q B=L C=X D=Y E=A F=W G=H H=B I=T J=S K=U L=J M=E N=I O=C P=O Q=K R=V S=R T=G U=Z V=F W=P X=N Y=M Z=D
- “No pale gradations quench his ray, No twilight dews his wrath allay.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1813, Rokeby, Canto VI. Stanza 21 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=N C=P D=I E=O F=H G=C H=X I=Q J=U K=B L=K M=A N=M O=V P=W Q=Y R=G S=T T=S U=J V=R W=F X=L Y=D Z=E
- “Who loves his work and knows to spare, may live and flourish anywhere.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=P B=X C=G D=V E=D F=Z G=Y H=I I=K J=O K=L L=E M=F N=R O=N P=B Q=T R=U S=J T=H U=A V=M W=Q X=W Y=C Z=S