Puzzle 1
Starter clue: M = E
UMQBVHFXEDVPXKEI-KMZWBMXMYTIMQQPVGQ,MYTIMQQPVGQBEIXVIKVIWMX,EGXGMDMIFMZZBMUVIXQNMSIEGXMIZBEGZBMLEZZMI.
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
Francois de La Rochefoucauld Cryptograms Set 9
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: V = O
QWGJVSXAGVFWLAWFPIFWWKVLGWLZ,ZJPZOLIVXXVQOLTZJWVBOLOVLVIVSFIFOWLAGZJWUGJVSXAEWXOWRWZJPZZJWUIVXXVQVSFG.
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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- U
- V
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- X
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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: I = E
UIYKBAWCQPWZBVYAMLIJQYQKPQJBTJIDTQKIN,MAQBTWEYBVPDPYQKIEWXZI,PTCUIYKBAWCQPZIODIPQJPDIUKIDIUICDPUQKIWXTI.
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 4
Starter clue: V = E
CWCTLQJHVFSXTWSTVVGWSIVQZYQMTWNVZVQLVFSDWNVPSJAVFTQWCSJ,QJLWSEXTNQHSSLQFHXUVJWWSSNQFL,YNVJYVNQAVDSXJLSJV.
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 5
Starter clue: W = E
RSWCWFKYUYFCNSFISOWEXULKRXRSWDFLGCWYUJRYEWURKXDWYISFUJFQFJGYE;NWYENYTKEXKWFRNSWUNWYOYUJXUFRRXYKKGVWYUXRSWC.
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
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- X
- Y
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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)
- “We should avoid far-fetched expressions, expressions hard or forced, and never let the words be grander than the matter.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=Y B=H C=K D=V E=A F=L G=N H=U I=R J=Q K=F L=M M=E N=B O=Z P=I Q=S R=J S=G T=P U=W V=O W=C X=D Y=X Z=T
- “We should so render a free consent, that in following the opinion of our friends they should believe that they follow ours.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=D B=P C=X D=Z E=B F=R G=S H=J I=F J=H K=C L=N M=Q N=M O=I P=A Q=W R=V S=U T=G U=Y V=O W=E X=L Y=K Z=T
- “We should talk of subjects that concern them, but only so far as they like, and we should take great care where we draw the line.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=U B=O C=D D=R E=Y F=Q G=Z H=V I=E J=C K=H L=J M=B N=M O=G P=A Q=T R=P S=X T=N U=W V=F W=L X=I Y=S Z=K
- “It is dangerous to seek to be always the leader of the conversation, and to push a good argument too hard, when we have found one.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=V B=J C=I D=F E=P F=R G=K H=G I=B J=N K=X L=D M=Y N=H O=Z P=C Q=A R=Q S=O T=S U=M V=E W=T X=U Y=W Z=L
- “There is an air which belongs to the figure and talents of each individual; we always lose it when we abandon it to assume another.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=X B=P C=R D=F E=L F=I G=U H=Q I=C J=D K=S L=G M=Z N=W O=B P=J Q=V R=T S=H T=Y U=N V=M W=E X=O Y=A Z=K