Puzzle 1
Starter clue: C = N
DSJJSCHENAMPEPGRXZJACLBPHHMRUSCPJPCBSKMSJALTFCZFCTFJNADPCCSLPVFXA.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Hard Cryptograms Set 133
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: J = T
NVOBCFJHEOJDPS!JYGVDGJFVJVTNVGJFYECFJ,JYJVDAFJFVKYETCBNVDFYMJYPFYYJ.
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
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- X
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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: C = O
SBUXULSFCPSCTLGZSBUJCTOFKTUFCPSCTFGUS,FCPSCTDVGUS,KZFFCPSCTQUTTHQKZ.
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 4
Starter clue: M = E
OKMIMXFVFTIOTJWTGMFOXNMPYTEGMPOOTLMUPTDPMBMPXPVNITDW,VPWOKXFETSKVW.
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: Z = E
ZGUMRONNVZEOFTQOFQQXTHZCJEQJZ,YJFNOAZTQXTHWRCEWUZQFXZQJYQFTGLZFEJZ.
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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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = E
GLFCPIHNHZ,SLNTLNKGLFCPKGCFCPIOMXFKFOKPHPWGLFJOU,NKGLFOSOBFHNHZLPYI.
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)
- “Commonly we say a judgment falls upon a man for something in him we cannot abide.”— John Selden, 1689, Table Talk, Judgments (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=F C=N D=C E=Y F=I G=J H=L I=Q J=M K=R L=T M=S N=W O=K P=A Q=X R=U S=O T=H U=P V=B W=V X=D Y=Z Z=G
- “Delightful task! to rear the tender thought, To teach the young idea how to shoot.”— James Thomson, 1730, The Seasons, Spring. Line 1149 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=I C=G D=A E=U F=H G=R H=F I=B J=T K=Y L=M M=W N=D O=L P=S Q=Z R=J S=K T=N U=P V=E W=X X=V Y=O Z=Q
- “The best doctors in the world are Doctor Diet, Doctor Quiet, and Doctor Merryman.”— Jonathan Swift, 1738, Polite Conversation, Dialogue II (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=H C=O D=Q E=P F=D G=I H=Y I=F J=W K=A L=S M=K N=V O=L P=C Q=M R=Z S=T T=R U=E V=U W=G X=B Y=J Z=N
- “There is a sort of domestic enjoyment to be known even in a crowd, and this you had.”— Jane Austen, 1817, PersuasionCipher key: A=Z B=V C=G D=W E=Y F=S G=M H=P I=R J=F K=H L=B M=E N=C O=T P=N Q=X R=L S=U T=O U=K V=A W=D X=I Y=J Z=Q
- “Envy will merit as its shade pursue, But like a shadow proves the substance true.”— Alexander Pope, 1711, An Essay on Criticism, Part II. Line 266 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=Z C=P D=F E=R F=T G=N H=D I=X J=U K=J L=C M=Y N=L O=I P=Q Q=S R=W S=G T=A U=V V=M W=O X=H Y=B Z=E
- “The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Q B=K C=M D=P E=Z F=E G=T H=N I=R J=D K=S L=H M=B N=I O=A P=O Q=V R=X S=W T=C U=Y V=J W=F X=L Y=U Z=G