Puzzle 1
Starter clue: I = E
LVZVYIMQUZI,TWGIIUTQK,KVOCWQQGIIKVOTVCBRUTAUBMZRUZVPVZRITG.
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 108
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: Y = E
HMYJBSPYXUHMYPCAJYFWYVXCHFAJYWHXHMFXDAHWYSUACHXYJYFKLXACH.
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: I = E
ICIZRGICIZXWZIGYWPDGPQZIXPIJIKXJKMYKEIKLRPQXPHQDTQBSWWSHG.
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: D = E
BFDEOOXTJBXOP,BFDEOGDDVACBPIEQDOTOXDQ,VALDACPOACIOP,JCEHEFDP.
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: M = E
KMKNYDISBVFMXUMF,NWAYIMLMVMKSWAMVSTYIMFRMDYNDXMMWYIVNXXFBF.
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: X = E
DZZUXSN,VLS,EZXVHGUWGMZCOOPXZSMULWXOPXVCF;LOVPLFXVXAXSNHPXSX.
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)
- “Go to bed late, rise early, you will see your own harm and that of others.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=N C=W D=Q E=X F=V G=S H=K I=E J=Z K=Y L=G M=D N=C O=U P=F Q=L R=H S=P T=R U=A V=O W=I X=J Y=B Z=T
- “The value of the universe contrives to throw itself into every point.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=I B=A C=N D=W E=K F=R G=Q H=T I=B J=V K=Y L=P M=H N=D O=M P=U Q=J R=Z S=L T=G U=F V=C W=S X=O Y=E Z=X
- “Every several result is threatened and judged by that which follows.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=Z B=F C=V D=I E=G F=P G=S H=W I=E J=N K=D L=B M=J N=X O=M P=T Q=H R=Y S=O T=C U=Q V=K W=L X=A Y=U Z=R
- “Great thoughts, great feelings came to them, Like instincts, unawares.”— Richard Monckton Milnes, 1838, Poems of Many Years, The Men of Old (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=G C=N D=E E=A F=R G=F H=W I=C J=U K=P L=K M=B N=V O=T P=S Q=M R=X S=Y T=O U=D V=L W=Z X=H Y=J Z=Q
- “We watch ourselves, and the mere wonder of the spectacle enthralls us.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=D B=U C=I D=C E=X F=S G=J H=B I=H J=Y K=W L=M M=E N=A O=Q P=K Q=Z R=P S=O T=F U=V V=R W=N X=L Y=T Z=G
- “Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun; it shines everywhere.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Twelfth Night, Act III. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=G C=U D=F E=D F=N G=A H=W I=Q J=X K=Z L=I M=B N=Y O=T P=H Q=P R=C S=R T=M U=L V=S W=K X=E Y=J Z=O