Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = E
SONYTAPMOACNQAGIDAMWAYCXFIUNAP,EDNTDTMKPAZIIUIOAWNCGNLAP,MYUEDNTDDMWALKTDWAYAOMGNIYFKGYIOAPG.
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
Francis Bacon Cryptograms Set 6
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: Q = E
VHVDEUVYYEQQBVLQE,NUVNOBZCKQSVHODQNUQHTVJNXZTVJN,ZCKEUVYYBODFDQAQJVMCCF;VDFZQNVYNCMQNUQJFCRQYY.
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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- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: K = E
EZEUNUZFNMJKXKUEFK,ZQUKKATQYKFNMXZQIQUKIEHKFZO:QFZQUKKATQYKFQLKFQZBKFU,NMXZQIQUKTQYKFQLKFNCNM'UUKIW.
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
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- U
- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: H = E
VHHDAQIJWQCUWZBFHV,OCIVCBFXVIFQCTXMHVILHIGCVIRM,CVHVQOHWRM,UZVIWZOCIHBFHHWSCRRM,XAURHXNHBQAIHAIHURM.
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
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- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: V = E
DVLTLEZVOJBYOUVOZVJNZTUVXVZQOLJX,-XVZQOLJXSMJNVXSQVZVTELSZXJOJV,XVZQOLJXSMMODV,OLCXVZQOLJXSMRGXTLVXX.
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 (5 solutions)
- “Princes are like to heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, and which have much veneration but no rest.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Empire (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=J C=L D=H E=W F=B G=T H=Z I=O J=F K=U L=M M=A N=I O=R P=S Q=K R=X S=P T=C U=D V=Q W=V X=Y Y=N Z=G
- “A man shall see faces, that if you examine them part by part, you shall find never a good; and yet altogether do well.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=V B=F C=O D=N E=S F=D G=J H=M I=Z J=R K=U L=C M=G N=T O=I P=Q Q=E R=W S=X T=P U=H V=A W=K X=B Y=L Z=Y
- “It is a strange desire, to seek power and to lose liberty: or to seek power over others, and to lose power over a man's self.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=K B=H C=M D=C E=I F=R G=X H=B I=L J=G K=E L=V M=N N=A O=Y P=Z Q=O R=U S=Q T=P U=S V=J W=F X=D Y=W Z=T
- “Seek not proud riches, but such as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and leave contentedly.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=N B=C C=U D=K E=Q F=H G=J H=E I=T J=P K=X L=G M=Y N=V O=B P=Z Q=O R=L S=F T=M U=D V=S W=R X=A Y=W Z=I
- “Men in great place are thrice servants, - servants of the sovereign or state, servants of fame, and servants of business.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Great Place (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=P C=D D=M E=G F=W G=U H=K I=Y J=T K=Q L=N M=F N=H O=A P=Z Q=V R=B S=O T=I U=C V=E W=J X=S Y=L Z=R