Puzzle 1
Starter clue: X = T
SHZHXXFWLGTDZYDXXHMJCCGLRZHIDZYXFJXXFWLRZHIZHXFDZYJXJKK?
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 101
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: P = T
JPJZUKPUNTNZZIEVPKSJZORFNBNEVDRTMNPPOIPSIQQZJUPKPONXNQQ.
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: B = O
TLBSPEYGMLYTBAJLVGZBSCPKVBKGLBHARZPFFXPRBDHKRYFLVGZABPE.
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
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: X = E
IXKXZXVGMWXHUWONUBMPWSRBUWXBB,JWOKNXQMPBPUIISXPXIIKXWOXO.
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
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = A
GBJYEAGOIGSJ-IWYDJYVIWYDIEMPMPJEYPJGXVGVIJZZGVMPJEYPGOXV.
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
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: D = A
KWLNSDFIVKGSXNCSADKWCYXLGDVV,XNCSRDPXCYXLUSRDAODWRRASDAP.
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 (6 solutions)
- “Do not they bring it to pass by knowing that they know nothing at all?”— Terence, 166 BC, Andria, The Prologue. 17 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=Q C=S D=I E=F F=H G=B H=O I=W J=A K=L L=Y M=P N=J O=Z P=V Q=U R=K S=D T=R U=M V=C W=E X=T Y=G Z=N
- “It is not necessary to fish up every bucket that falls into the well.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=V C=G D=B E=R F=P G=Q H=J I=A J=I K=O L=Z M=K N=E O=H P=T Q=L R=U S=F T=C U=N V=Y W=M X=W Y=D Z=S
- “Who makes the wolf his companion should carry a dog under his cloak.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=L B=O C=P D=G E=K F=R G=S H=U I=V J=F K=N L=H M=T N=B O=J P=A Q=Z R=D S=M T=W U=Q V=I W=X X=Y Y=E Z=C
- “Let every one mind his own business, and the cows will be well tended.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=S C=F D=G E=X F=Q G=Y H=M I=L J=A K=T L=K M=O N=H O=D P=W Q=C R=U S=B T=P U=I V=R W=N X=E Y=J Z=V
- “American wage-workers work with their heads as well as their hands.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1901, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=C B=M C=Z D=K E=I F=Q G=A H=P I=W J=E K=X L=F M=T N=B O=N P=H Q=Y R=V S=G T=U U=J V=S W=O X=D Y=R Z=L
- “Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.”— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1841, Ballads and Other Poems, The Rainy Day (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=W C=M D=A E=X F=C G=F H=V I=H J=P K=I L=T M=J N=O O=K P=Y Q=Z R=D S=E T=Q U=B V=L W=N X=S Y=U Z=G