Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = T
AYVKEROEVGAYQETOYAYVSEQLHLIIEVGLEAVHA,JTAJQTGYVGXAIEPLPXAYYXGAHXU.
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 130
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
FEMWHEPYVEOETFHPDGVRJCYPPGPWBJFHA,-PGVFHAFVPWEPBPDGVRJGHOBRFBPJFOK.
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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- T
- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: K = O
K,PKODGHKMD!LMGKOQIZCX-YQOOBNKHGIKXLHQZEGKGIADAOGKCQHZLCQEQZCKXDZTU!
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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- T
- U
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: Q = T
KBCQFQTCOFBCSKIZTQQSTRXMOFPKQKTCMKZSQ,BTYTMOKBWFLXDQQSTOXMFPKQKTC.
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: K = E
QTDMJAVRFKVZGKJAMJMULTGARTQ,TCYYKVKJNKVSZLFRFKFABFKJLMCVAYKJTRAMC.
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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- T
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: N = E
GNSNUCEJBPG;GNWEUDSNUFHYENSRNS,UACGNMHHQEZBWFNFGSHBDGFGNCNNCEHOJNA.
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
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- 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)
- “The fox goes through the corn and does not eat, but brushes it down with his tail.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=Q C=Y D=K E=O F=V G=S H=A I=D J=B K=F L=N M=P N=M O=G P=W Q=R R=X S=C T=U U=L V=E W=Z X=I Y=H Z=J
- “Each natural agent works but to this end, - To render that it works on like itself.”— George Chapman, 1607, Bussy D'Ambois, Act III. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=I C=B D=W E=A F=E G=O H=N I=J J=S K=F L=X M=C N=Z O=L P=T Q=Y R=K S=V T=G U=M V=R W=H X=Q Y=U Z=P
- “O, monstrous! but one half-pennyworth of bread to this intolerable deal of sack!”— William Shakespeare, 1597, King Henry IV, Part I, Act II. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=Y C=L D=S E=D F=G G=T H=R I=H J=X K=O L=B M=U N=W O=N P=M Q=E R=J S=V T=C U=K V=Q W=Z X=F Y=P Z=A
- “In statesmanship get the formalities right, never mind about the moralities.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=J B=N C=S D=U E=C F=A G=K H=Y I=P J=Z K=I L=B M=R N=Q O=M P=L Q=T R=F S=H T=E U=X V=W W=D X=O Y=V Z=G
- “Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”— Abraham Lincoln, 1861, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=I B=G C=N D=B E=X F=H G=P H=K I=J J=R K=E L=C M=O N=V O=Q P=Y Q=L R=T S=M T=A U=F V=S W=Z X=W Y=D Z=U
- “He reads much; He is a great observer, and he looks Quite through the deeds of men.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Julius Caesar, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=U C=D D=G E=S F=T G=H H=O I=J J=M K=Z L=Y M=L N=E O=F P=C Q=K R=V S=R T=P U=A V=X W=I X=W Y=B Z=Q