Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Z = E
PVVPZAIHTFJVIOZAEMPUHIMZEMPADZGIZEZPKZVJDMYCDVKLHEZNADZMPUHIF.
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 69
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 = I
GTLYXIUOVLJVQIXLIAOVLYXU-VRBHVR!YOTFXTHYMXT'LHYOVLGVXYUZIXPHKHVR.
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: N = E
HVJNUOPDRUNLHMKDIOPNUNXTUJRBSDVJHROUEMNKBVFOBOPBRNXPBNTUVOPNC.
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: V = I
IVJSEZCJ,MVPXJEDOYGYVDFMXOYCOVZGJXZUVKEZJ,KZVHOFEWKIVDOKTEDDOYC.
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: D = E
VCDRAMZVAZFDMVHAIWEXMAUCVDM,XOVVCDZDFGISZVHUDAZVCDJGMDKDHFDROW.
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: B = C
BJVKTPEE,GLEZRBP,JTABSTERAPCJZRSTEYSLVABYJCJBZPCRQPSLCARMVSKJBF.
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)
- “No one truly forgets injuries in the presence of him who caused the injury.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=T B=V C=W D=H E=S F=Y G=P H=U I=R J=F K=C L=A M=I N=D O=G P=N Q=X R=Q S=K T=L U=J V=O W=B X=Z Y=M Z=E
- “Destroy his fib or sophistry - in vain! The creature's at his dirty work again.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, Prologue to the Satires. Line 91 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=V C=X D=J E=L F=C G=D H=A I=O J=F K=G L=S M=U N=Q O=H P=K Q=B R=N S=M T=E U=Y V=I W=Z X=R Y=T Z=W
- “Under this republic the rewards of industry belong to those who earn them.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1925, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=X B=O C=M D=I E=Y F=G G=J H=U I=C J=D K=L L=P M=B N=E O=T P=H Q=Z R=S S=F T=A U=R V=N W=V X=W Y=Q Z=K
- “His words, like so many nimble and airy servitors, trip about him at command.”— John Milton, 1642, An Apology for Smectymnuus (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=Z C=D D=M E=O F=B G=Y H=P I=H J=S K=T L=J M=L N=G O=A P=K Q=X R=Q S=W T=C U=V V=I W=U X=E Y=N Z=R
- “The first is certainly brighter, but the second stage is the more peaceful.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=I B=W C=H D=E E=Y F=C G=O H=A I=N J=M K=P L=J M=R N=X O=U P=K Q=V R=F S=D T=Z U=G V=T W=L X=B Y=Q Z=S
- “Calmness, justice, and consideration should characterize our diplomacy.”— Benjamin Harrison, 1889, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=D B=C C=R D=Q E=S F=Y G=J H=X I=G J=A K=M L=U M=P N=F O=K P=E Q=Z R=I S=O T=N U=W V=L W=B X=V Y=H Z=T