Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = H
UKNGKNNYJQUKNIJCQUFXQXGKXLKNHUKFQUKNPCEEJQUKNYEFXQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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French proverb Cryptograms Set 12
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: M = T
IOOKJOSMPMIEMREVLPNARRTERRVOEHZVCEPMOHADMCIAPYCGMI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = O
DRUOTFEROTNPDFDTUOTFEDTFHTYBXRVOCURRLDBETFOWTNOERY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: S = E
EKBMKNUFUMNSWWKMSFQIEZURSSUESMUJQIZSWKCIUWENYEZZYF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: J = E
STJEBVSTLSWCJJDWRQSTJHBIQRQUTLWQBSTRWSBQUXJEJLSTJIJY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Y = O
YUMWVNRCVCDYYWVCIJYHYTGRLJGYWYMCMAMTNIGRUDRURICFZVEM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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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)
- “The sheep on the mountain is higher than the bull on the plain.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=K C=U D=Y E=L F=A G=S H=R I=M J=O K=H L=G M=W N=E O=F P=B Q=N R=Q S=J T=V U=T V=C W=D X=I Y=P Z=X
- “He expects that larks will fall ready roasted into his mouth.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=G C=O D=N E=A F=J G=U H=D I=H J=P K=X L=K M=T N=W O=E P=S Q=V R=L S=C T=F U=Q V=R W=B X=Z Y=M Z=Y
- “He knows enough who knows how to live and keep his own counsel.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=J B=I C=D D=H E=S F=W G=Z H=T I=X J=Q K=B L=P M=R N=U O=N P=G Q=F R=E S=Y T=O U=K V=A W=C X=V Y=L Z=M
- “To know a man well one must have eaten a bushel of salt with him.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=J B=K C=F D=Y E=T F=M G=D H=X I=S J=B K=O L=Z M=N N=W O=G P=Q Q=U R=V S=E T=P U=A V=R W=L X=C Y=I Z=H
- “The fox that sleeps in the morning has not his tongue feathered.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=O C=L D=P E=F F=J G=Z H=M I=R J=E K=C L=A M=Y N=B O=W P=Q Q=N R=I S=T T=H U=G V=X W=S X=U Y=D Z=K
- “One day is as good as two for him who does everything in its place.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=K C=S D=G E=C F=P G=H H=F I=T J=W K=U L=M M=E N=Y O=Q P=X Q=J R=I S=B T=R U=N V=A W=D X=Z Y=O Z=L