Puzzle 1
Starter clue: O = E
PEDRTOJOHZQIYFLSOTEFOQGYPO,OJOHZQIYFLGEDRTSOTEFOSOQQOH.
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
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- X
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German proverb Cryptograms Set 20
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: X = N
KVXIRZVVPJXITXQRZWTBWXJXIWXQPJXLNFJXIXVSZJXI,VDLTQETDWP.
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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- X
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: O = T
XWXGESPKMZSQZTCZFTQRPO,OYKRDYCOMKRPFHRIIPXYCNOKFKVXOOXG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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- N
- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: K = O
VNKGFORMFMPKMRICUPPKHRMPUZF,CRMPJKPZKCSAQUJKOKSSGFMMUKJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: B = A
NFBXXSCALTDNBYEALDHY,BCHJHDDHCDKBYXBCUHSCALTDNBYENHXEAF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- O
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: X = E
EFBXGETOXTNAXTWJFGGTDUFWWLXSATMHXGWUAGLTRSMNDXXMLUAGXG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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- L
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- N
- O
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- X
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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)
- “Could everything be done twice, everything would be done better.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Q B=J C=M D=U E=O F=N G=W H=R I=H J=V K=S L=G M=Z N=X O=E P=C Q=T R=L S=B T=D U=F V=P W=K X=A Y=I Z=Y
- “Long choosing and cheapening ends in buying nothing, or bad wares.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Q B=P C=M D=R E=W F=Y G=F H=X I=G J=I K=L L=B M=V N=U O=Z P=S Q=D R=C S=T T=A U=J V=O W=E X=N Y=K Z=H
- “Every clown can find fault, though it would puzzle him to do better.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=S B=Q C=I D=G E=Y F=D G=R H=P I=Z J=K K=O L=J M=W N=M O=T P=L Q=A R=U S=C T=F U=X V=B W=V X=E Y=H Z=N
- “Who refuses to submit to justice, must not complain of oppression.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=L B=Q C=M D=Y E=G F=E G=R H=J I=B J=N K=O L=Z M=S N=H O=F P=T Q=A R=U S=P T=V U=I V=W W=K X=D Y=X Z=C
- “Small profits and often, are better than large profits and seldom.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=A C=R D=T E=D F=M G=U H=E I=K J=B K=H L=F M=Y N=S O=V P=J Q=Z R=X S=P T=I U=G V=Q W=C X=L Y=N Z=W
- “Mules make a great fuss about their ancestors having been horses.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=L C=Z D=B E=M F=U G=S H=C I=Q J=F K=X L=H M=N N=G O=K P=J Q=Y R=V S=I T=A U=O V=D W=T X=E Y=W Z=P