Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = T
KBXCHWVBYVIWVBDKWRBDCBBDSICTSWXCHZAHBWVXJIVCLKWRVWFNQSYBDCWP.
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 68
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: V = E
WEVXVBGYPVLWUTRFVLBNPPTAVTRLNWMXV,QMWLTWGTCMIETRLNWMXVEVXGVPR.
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: F = E
GWFPLQOHKYVQLPAYLSDH,GWDGPQFAYTDIFZQFEPWFQFFDVOFYHDQFALGZFQNW.
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
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: X = T
XLPQALXLODBFZUKSNWSPJOFSPQFLOKZ,WOXBXGPXUKVOBXYGOYXBGSPQFLKBF.
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
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: X = U
GKPXWKQGSLFNGKNXERFQDCXDDLXWK,HLEEPGYXGSLFNGKNBXJQHQPXRWTQNIN.
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
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Z = E
EFTRHYYDZDVBMZYVZNZG,RTA-ASGFHAWFQ,HLWBXVATXFLDECZKVBSQHMZGWVLZ.
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
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)
- “It was not for nothing that the raven was just now croaking on my left hand.”— Plautus, 195 BC, Aulularia, Act IV. Sc. 3, 1. (624) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=T C=A D=H E=Q F=M G=Z H=S I=R J=C K=I L=K M=X N=Y O=B P=D Q=L R=G S=E T=V U=P V=O W=N X=W Y=F Z=J
- “There is plenty of genial love of Nature, but not so much of Nature herself.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=V B=I C=M D=Q E=H F=G G=S H=X I=C J=Z K=W L=N M=U N=A O=D P=L Q=B R=F S=J T=O U=Y V=E W=T X=R Y=P Z=K
- “The world is grown so bad, That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch.”— William Shakespeare, 1593, King Richard III, Act I. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=U C=Q D=A E=Y F=E G=T H=D I=K J=F K=I L=O M=X N=C O=L P=W Q=R R=J S=B T=M U=V V=G W=H X=Z Y=S Z=P
- “Though the bird may fly over your head, let it not make its nest in your hair.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=I C=Q D=B E=W F=R G=N H=P I=C J=V K=A L=H M=Z N=F O=E P=O Q=U R=J S=Y T=X U=M V=K W=L X=T Y=S Z=D
- “Though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=J C=F D=L E=N F=K G=T H=C I=V J=D K=H L=A M=Y N=E O=P P=O Q=I R=S S=M T=R U=X V=W W=G X=U Y=B Z=Q
- “You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act I. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=S C=J D=M E=Y F=O G=R H=A I=Q J=F K=W L=N M=B N=V O=X P=Z Q=G R=C S=H T=U U=K V=I W=D X=P Y=L Z=E