Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = H
KYQKVQKCELHQKYKVSLEYCAQKYAWBZSN-IVSWDSHQKYWZHPCAMDWSZSNKZRHYEA.
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
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- X
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- Z
Expert Cryptograms Set 70
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: T = E
OZJXTRLWUMINUQUTC,OZJXTLHYINUELWHY,JXTPTOKULJXOUMGWJCLWHYGTYLUT.
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 3
Starter clue: G = E
XLHZPJCTAXWXLGYWOGEZWPXLGEJAVLJUGOGBJCMLGVWAOTXLWHXTBKGVTBGAX.
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 4
Starter clue: J = E
VWWVJINZYUCLPCSJVCYOJJANPUQYCWKWEEWFYNVQYCROQXOLPSJNZROPYRJPFJ.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: K = T
PRGBFMQVLFXQSRAGMLMJBFKRKNFQKMPCXPUVGRPKNFYMPKMUF-ULRVPCRWKLVKN.
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: R = E
YKRLWTGRUTFNTWGRBQMYKXBIQWYMFR,TFHRGRWAUTFXBYKRBQFQIKXBQSFSQWZB.
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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- T
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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)
- “He that holds the handle of the frying-pan runs the risk of burning himself.”— 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=O D=U E=L F=Z G=W H=S I=P J=Q K=H L=D M=B N=G O=J P=K Q=T R=M S=N T=X U=V V=A W=R X=C Y=E Z=I
- “If the young man knew, if the old man could, there is nothing but would be done.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=V C=W D=Q E=C F=Z G=B H=L I=M J=T K=S L=O M=G N=A O=I P=R Q=K R=Y S=J T=E U=N V=P W=U X=H Y=D Z=F
- “Thus far into the bowels of the land have we marched on without impediment.”— William Shakespeare, 1593, King Richard III, Act V. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=M C=R D=K E=L F=Y G=E H=U I=Q J=A K=P L=H M=C N=G O=W P=F Q=Z R=X S=J T=I U=V V=D W=O X=T Y=B Z=S
- “No one justly may deny the equality of opportunity which made us what we are.”— Warren G. Harding, 1921, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=Q B=Z C=Y D=X E=P F=R G=B H=K I=J J=E K=F L=M M=V N=U O=H P=A Q=I R=W S=D T=G U=L V=N W=O X=C Y=T Z=S
- “No pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage-ground of truth.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Truth (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=L C=D D=Y E=W F=E G=P H=Q I=Z J=B K=T L=R M=A N=H O=J P=N Q=S R=O S=C T=X U=G V=U W=F X=I Y=V Z=K
- “The brave man carves out his fortune, and every man is the son of his own works.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1605, Don Quixote, Part I, Book I. Chap. IV (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=S C=J D=Z E=P F=N G=V H=D I=F J=Q K=H L=B M=U N=C O=L P=X Q=O R=E S=W T=A U=M V=G W=R X=I Y=T Z=K