Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = E
UFQLEFFMUVGLJFELJVUJLN,FJBLGUJFELUCVRRFCLN,VANUFQLWLCJFELTBLCLNVANNHXLUJLN.
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
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- Z
Francis Bacon Cryptograms Set 4
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: R = E
NDRGRXFFEGRSZVBAGRCNRGUXFKBH,NDCVURSSNBNXHRNDRIRAXVVXVAF,CVKBVFRNF,BTNDXVAF.
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 3
Starter clue: F = E
IPICVIHCFFH,GWVFTFRSFCEGWKSGCBJPFYGCHJWFURFCBF,EJTFIBBIXGCMIMIGCGCBJPFJEVFO.
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 4
Starter clue: D = A
VFVODOZDFNQDWFEHVP,DOFEMPMEQZ;DZHFEDWVFFWPVZJDZF,APQXDAO,FXPEZPVODOADVZJNW,DOFXPEFXPQ.
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: B = E
HJBYBOYBHAKHRERLBXBOIHKTXKQZTSSTXHTEBIQHQ;EAHSBSTOR,SBOKH,IXVXTEDBGTOPQ,IOBYOTYBOHTSBX.
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: G = T
LZWULAZNGCNUXWGFNGYWSGREXCBAEZUEXJJNUGEUGAU;EXJEJDAZUNGCNUXWGFNGYWSGIWRBWZGUEXJYWLAU.
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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- R
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- T
- U
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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)
- “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Studies (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=H C=W D=P E=B F=O G=R H=I I=Y J=T K=Q L=E M=K N=D O=Z P=V Q=M R=L S=J T=C U=S V=A W=F X=G Y=U Z=X
- “There is surely no greater wisdom, than well to time the beginnings, and onsets, of things.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=G B=O C=A D=H E=U F=S G=R H=M I=B J=Z K=D L=P M=V N=T O=K P=C Q=X R=E S=L T=F U=W V=N W=Q X=I Y=J Z=Y
- “A man had need, if he be plentiful in some kind of expense, to be as saving again in some other.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=Q B=S C=N D=W E=T F=E G=I H=D I=A J=O K=U L=Z M=G N=Y O=R P=M Q=J R=P S=L T=B U=X V=H W=F X=V Y=K Z=C
- “It is as natural to die, as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful, as the other.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=P B=Q C=J D=A E=O F=T G=Z H=D I=V J=F K=G L=C M=B N=U O=S P=E Q=R R=X S=K T=Y U=M V=I W=L X=H Y=W Z=N
- “The perpetuity by generation is common to beasts; but memory, merit, and noble works, are proper to men.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=U B=E C=Q D=L E=B F=X G=W H=T I=A J=H K=I L=G M=J N=V O=R P=K Q=S R=Y S=M T=O U=Z V=D W=F X=N Y=P Z=C
- “Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Adversity (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=F C=Y D=V E=A F=W G=T H=L I=C J=D K=B L=P M=J N=I O=K P=Z Q=G R=M S=U T=Q U=S V=X W=O X=N Y=H Z=R