Puzzle 1
Starter clue: T = O
VCTXTSEPTA,ESSEPTA;VCTLGTNSEPTA,JSFMSNSEPTA.
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
Hard Cryptograms Set 1
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: K = E
XTOZ'VVOBIKQNMZTKPNNVKEVVOBIKQNMZTKPOUSKM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: S = E
TMSKAMSBUUFYHBSYWJSKAAMSYTHKYZSCWKAUYWKC.
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: L = E
MLGYLLFGJLJQFKQFKGJLNVOGJLRXPOAQHMLROVNG.
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: U = E
ZROBJURZHCTTSECUGTZVOTOPUUDUEOPROEUUOPUQ.
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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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: M = T
MDOLCYDJUOYM,CKMDOQXRMDJUOYMPQ,AOMUJRIOLCM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
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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)
- “Who goes not, sees not; who proves not, believes not.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=X C=H D=Q E=S F=L G=R H=C I=Z J=B K=F L=P M=I N=V O=M P=N Q=U R=Y S=E T=O U=A V=W W=D X=G Y=J Z=K
- “What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=B B=U C=Y D=L E=I F=X G=Z H=V I=C J=M K=E L=J M=R N=O O=A P=G Q=F R=P S=D T=H U=N V=S W=Q X=W Y=K Z=T
- “When the rooks are silent the swans begin to sing.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=R C=G D=V E=P F=K G=X H=A I=Q J=L K=N L=M M=H N=J O=F P=Z Q=D R=Y S=E T=W U=O V=U W=I X=C Y=S Z=B
- “Between the hand and the lip the soup may be spilt.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=F C=V D=J E=R F=N G=T H=Y I=Q J=H K=D L=E M=B N=L O=P P=U Q=A R=S S=X T=K U=Z V=I W=G X=O Y=W Z=C
- “Nature and books belong to the eyes that see them.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=J B=U C=B D=Y E=S F=C G=L H=D I=W J=R K=X L=I M=Z N=P O=T P=H Q=M R=A S=K T=O U=E V=G W=Q X=F Y=V Z=N
- “The dishonest, if they act honestly, get no credit.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=G B=Q C=I D=H E=W F=P G=U H=M I=R J=O K=F L=D M=T N=B O=E P=L Q=Y R=C S=K T=Z U=N V=X W=J X=A Y=S Z=V