Puzzle 1
Starter clue: D = O
SEDYRMZUEJUYJBUVDMDFIEVHFVHYCKR,ECUJMEJUERCWVMDYDQRDXXCKR.
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
Expert Cryptograms Set 63
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: D = E
EDGORVPXYRJGKDLBRHLPPGVUMDQJGZYRYDJRYDLYXZYJODGLADALYYDI.
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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- Y
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Y = O
RYHMAGXMUIKMDYESGXMVNXWYYEP;JHUYESGXMDMYLRYHMAGXMVNXWYYEP.
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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- Y
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: O = E
YWNOHDLLMELBHDMENOGEKBAVWOKCR,EKCSOFWONOLMELBHDMENOSDLAOJ.
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: Y = A
WXBXKFHNRHNQRHKYKLEHKNSXKNSYWQRHUYWXYITGQCKYDTNPYUZYVYTW.
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: M = E
MIMOAHOEJPSCZWEHCOXMDMMPOCXJMKXBUSUSMNCDUEHVJKEJUOMXEOKD.
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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- 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)
- “Who lends his lips to nought but blame, has in his heart no love of fame.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=J B=P C=A D=O E=H F=U G=X H=B I=G J=I K=M L=K M=N N=C O=Y P=Q Q=V R=E S=W T=Z U=S V=T W=R X=F Y=L Z=D
- “We should not speak of all subjects in one tone and in the same manner.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=M B=K C=Q D=E E=W F=X G=S H=F I=R J=T K=P L=A M=J N=V O=H P=L Q=C R=O S=Y T=G U=B V=U W=Z X=D Y=N Z=I
- “Young men think old men are fools; but old men know young men are fools.”— George Chapman, 1605, All Fools, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=V C=Q D=K E=L F=X G=M H=U I=H J=B K=I L=W M=N N=R O=Z P=S Q=J R=Y S=D T=C U=T V=A W=F X=E Y=O Z=P
- “Give out that you have many friends, and believe that you have but few.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=Y C=D D=U E=A F=L G=M H=O I=C J=W K=N L=T M=H N=V O=E P=Q Q=Z R=S S=B T=K U=X V=R W=I X=P Y=G Z=J
- “Never put out your arm further than you can easily draw it back again.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=J B=V C=D D=W E=F F=P G=L H=U I=S J=Q K=R L=M M=X N=T O=Z P=B Q=Y R=O S=H T=I U=C V=G W=N X=E Y=A Z=K
- “Every branch of labor we see crowned with the most abundant rewards.”— Andrew Jackson, 1835, Seventh Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=Y B=I C=O D=S E=A F=K G=Q H=B I=V J=N K=D L=G M=E N=M O=R P=C Q=P R=J S=H T=X U=T V=U W=L X=W Y=Z Z=F