Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = N
HERSQHDQKRSPUPREIEJP,YHNHERSQHDBYKR,WFRYHPRPUHYGHEXNEPKYGXYVKGYKR.
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 127
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: Z = E
ZKYNZBZAOLLRYXNZZWXRICMMSDNMSXPZ;ZKYNZBZAOLBRLPMLPXNYMCZLZNRIXAZ.
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
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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: E = R
FWEMEFGMH,QFDEIFWXKOLEMQOKLIFHG,BCEDGSULIHDOKEMBNUDXKOOKLILHNUFHG.
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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- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: A = E
KYAZAJTAKHWTAGDMBMBQXHFBQMZBAOATKHYDOADBAGHKMHBKYDKMZFBLAJHGMBQ.
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 5
Starter clue: E = O
MEHXRDVJPVMZVJMMJRZQVXMEWEADBVEBYVMEMZVAXHEX,EADYJNPPZEAYFOVCAPM.
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: A = E
IPJGZA'WNBWVIRABPXGNALWAJMFAWBGJ,LABWIPVUARBLX,DSVCBWWGIPGWVUAYBJA.
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)
- “Nothing is there to come, and nothing past, But an eternal now does always last.”— Abraham Cowley, 1656, Davideis, Book I. Line 25 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=P C=Q D=G E=O F=U G=L H=N I=C J=M K=S L=V M=F N=D O=K P=E Q=I R=T S=H T=Z U=R V=Y W=B X=W Y=A Z=J
- “Extremes in Nature equal good produce; Extremes in man concur to general use.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Moral Essays, Epistle III. Line 161 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=M C=G D=P E=J F=B G=W H=V I=L J=F K=X L=N M=O N=R O=I P=C Q=H R=A S=D T=K U=Z V=Y W=Q X=U Y=T Z=E
- “Aurora now, fair daughter of the dawn, Sprinkled with rosy light the dewy lawn.”— Alexander Pope, 1720, The Iliad of Homer (Pope's translation), Book VIII. Line 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=S C=P D=I E=R F=A G=N H=W I=D J=V K=H L=E M=O N=Y O=T P=Q Q=F R=B S=K T=X U=L V=Z W=U X=G Y=M Z=J
- “The secret of remaining young is never to have an emotion that is unbecoming.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=E B=N C=X D=A E=L F=U G=M H=O I=W J=C K=T L=B M=I N=K O=V P=D Q=G R=Z S=J T=R U=P V=Q W=F X=Y Y=H Z=S
- “To increase the attachment of our people to the Union, our laws should be just.”— James K. Polk, 1845, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=U B=P C=J D=R E=O F=D G=K H=I I=Q J=A K=V L=Z M=T N=W O=B P=S Q=M R=C S=Y T=G U=X V=E W=F X=N Y=L Z=H
- “On life's vast ocean diversely we sail, Reason the card, but passion is the gale.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle II. Line 107 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=A C=P D=B E=J F=W G=I H=K I=O J=L K=X L=R M=Y N=V O=Q P=N Q=Z R=C S=U T=M U=H V=T W=S X=D Y=G Z=F