Puzzle 1
Starter clue: V = T
VKPQIGALAHCPXVIKBMPUHSKV-IQAX,VKBVHVEBWKBMPEBVVPGJIGQIULPG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- X
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Hard Cryptograms Set 107
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: D = E
VJDLNDWVDPVLWTEPWESYWRMDPWNDQWNVJDPVQNZUODTELWIINDXTWVDS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: I = H
IWHIZAZHASWXAZTYIWINFIHXGJZWATZYFWYXRRYIWSZJANTYZINAUXOT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: L = E
GIORLVXZFLWZHKQCAOEL;TAZZIOZZXPXHLQIOSSOSSTLBXVLTKZILEASL.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: X = E
IYXVLFXMLPTEQXUFDCXLPVUIXC;IYXHLCIDBDFMLPTEQXUFDCXLPYLQQF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: R = E
EXRSOFSBAXRIXRJQADRSQDXRAXRRI,DXRBVZDAMOZWXDXRGMSYRJAGRRI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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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 world likes to have night-owls, that it may have matter for wonder.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=L B=A C=K D=C E=M F=X G=R H=I I=O J=F K=H L=D M=V N=J O=U P=E Q=W R=B S=G T=Q U=N V=T W=Y X=S Y=Z Z=P
- “The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=K B=Y C=J D=E E=N F=W G=Z H=Q I=P J=H K=X L=G M=U N=R O=B P=S Q=F R=L S=D T=I U=M V=T W=A X=C Y=V Z=O
- “He who sows peas on the highway does not get all the pods into his barn.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=S B=C C=Z D=U E=F F=G G=Y H=W I=H J=D K=M L=K M=V N=I O=R P=Q Q=X R=L S=P T=N U=B V=J W=E X=A Y=T Z=O
- “I have not kept my square; but that to come shall all be done by the rule.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Antony and Cleopatra, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=D C=Q D=W E=R F=K G=I H=M I=H J=F K=Y L=E M=Z N=J O=A P=C Q=S R=V S=L T=B U=G V=N W=P X=O Y=X Z=T
- “The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=C B=O C=R D=U E=P F=S G=B H=V I=T J=K K=Z L=I M=F N=G O=Y P=N Q=L R=J S=X T=D U=A V=W W=Q X=E Y=H Z=M
- “When many shepherds tend the sheep, they but so much the longer sleep.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=S B=Y C=V D=T E=W F=A G=L H=Q I=P J=R K=J L=K M=O N=Z O=M P=X Q=D R=E S=N T=I U=F V=B W=C X=H Y=G Z=U