Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = E
HFKXKOJPOHHPKWXOKYUJFOGOYHFKNIXPU,MYUPKMJHIWMPPSKHNKKYKRAMPJ,NFOTFNMJNIYHHISKQMBYOWOKU.
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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Francis Bacon Cryptograms Set 5
5 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: W = E
BJKYKVRCCGHXKZTRQKVFKAAWVABIWRQ,XWHXKRRHWWJCZALVW;JCZAXCLOXHXWBHURBVF,HXWBHVCABVIBHBURW.
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: F = E
MIONOQPOWFOXCKFICMFQY,PFNOLCFZXOENGZXZFJKCFXPOXXPFJOCFGIXPGZFXPMQSZTMEEJGQXMQKFOIXFCPMN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: E = O
BSBILEEYYBIXKQSBEF,FESSETGHQSEETVXUERGFMTGFGSSUQRBKIS;PQXGVIQEFQXGFFESUEDYEVSSUGSCKECEKSBEF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: N = E
LZLY'WYLHQON,OQYWNDHPNOHFPNOGWFOMNNJW;HPNONCFONINHPDZWNLWFYLGIKMLHNOHPNFYN,LYJJNWHOFKHPNFHPNO.
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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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 (5 solutions)
- “There is little friendship in the world, and least of all between equals, which was wont to be magnified.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=U B=G C=Z D=J E=X F=H G=P H=T I=O J=S K=E L=K M=A N=W O=I P=L Q=M R=Q S=B T=C U=D V=Y W=F X=R Y=N Z=V
- “If a man look sharply and attentively, he shall see Fortune; for though she is blind, she is not invisible.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Fortune (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=I C=O D=Z E=Q F=D G=K H=S I=V J=F K=A L=U M=C N=W O=G P=X Q=Y R=L S=J T=P U=B V=N W=E X=H Y=M Z=R
- “If a man have a true friend, he may rest almost secure that the care of those things will continue after him.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=X B=J C=R D=B E=L F=E G=O H=Z I=F J=C K=U L=Y M=I N=M O=A P=H Q=N R=K S=G T=W U=Q V=P W=V X=T Y=D Z=S
- “It is good discretion, not to make too much of any man at the first; because one cannot hold out that proportion.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=J B=I C=P D=L E=O F=N G=A H=K I=S J=Z K=R L=G M=Y N=Q O=W P=B Q=E R=F S=T T=M U=H V=U W=X X=C Y=D Z=V
- “A man's nature, runs either to herbs or weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=P B=Z C=F D=I E=Q F=O G=B H=T I=L J=D K=Y L=A M=W N=E O=R P=H Q=U R=X S=K T=V U=C V=J W=S X=G Y=N Z=M