Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = E
JUQOKTHTASPOWCVAPSHESXUKSVBSAKTSOVBH;VBSIONAOWVWSISKVOHVSUXTSOVBEZVUWJS.
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 5
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: I = A
GDIKWPWZVTAEIQUTTZUZWIHVTAEIQ,LWCMQMK.LTBUQWYYDIYCWQMAY,STGWZIQUHICMEMQMK.
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
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- U
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: M = T
CFWPCFSMLBWTMWBGMCWL,BJPIBATFLKCLTMQTUCCPHTCZMIGUQMHGJ,SEZTBWGJUMCBMMTIXM.
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: G = A
AGDGFUGMGCZYWPWXZJDOEWZYGZIOAWSAAWDXOXZYWVYGFVWZSMSDTYGDUGZMSDTMSDZYUSOFL.
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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- S
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: P = T
LKINPNZLKINP,KCYCDPPDIRHUVCTDVPDHPLRGNCYDGIWKCWQKC,IVPBDKARYYDGCZPKNMZKZPREKPKPNQR.
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)
- “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Julius CaesarCipher key: A=I B=H C=Y D=J E=B F=X G=Q H=S I=V J=C K=R L=G M=K N=L O=A P=M Q=W R=Z S=E T=D U=O V=T W=N X=F Y=P Z=U
- “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1835, John Anster translation of FaustCipher key: A=U B=L C=G D=H E=C F=J G=W H=M I=A J=K K=T L=B M=I N=X O=Q P=V Q=N R=Z S=P T=O U=D V=Y W=E X=F Y=S Z=R
- “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Measure for MeasureCipher key: A=K B=A C=O D=C E=Y F=U G=I H=W I=M J=N K=L L=S M=T N=X O=V P=D Q=H R=Q S=B T=E U=G V=Z W=R X=P Y=J Z=F
- “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1903, Labor Day speech, SyracuseCipher key: A=F B=V C=Y D=R E=Z F=N G=A H=U I=L J=P K=Q L=G M=W N=M O=I P=B Q=J R=X S=O T=K U=D V=C W=E X=S Y=H Z=T
- “Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.”— Mark Twain, 1894, Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=X B=C C=N D=O E=P F=K G=W H=F I=B J=Q K=A L=H M=R N=I O=Z P=T Q=M R=E S=V T=G U=L V=U W=Y X=J Y=D Z=S