Puzzle 1
Starter clue: P = T
BYZQSCUPYYNZKQVUWEUKPZEYDPQUFYVTA:PQUBTYWUXPPQSPAYJZBXPFXPQNZKQKSVU.
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
- Y
- Z
Hard Cryptograms Set 136
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: N = A
PEZBJNETPUYCQPTJSLEUERVBNAUCK,NEZINCUPETPNAACQPINYYUSESHRJPNCQPNJCY.
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 3
Starter clue: U = T
RURPZHPUHBBGLFUNLJTNPEUMHUQMHUGLPUPITHNTPURP,HFILKVMUULYT,DLPUJHBKTI.
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 4
Starter clue: O = T
QKOONTLKONXOCKYKQUOXQMXFVFKAKYONSFM,ONXOQSAKSFONKGSQVXFXYPNUTHVYSFM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Y = E
HKPYOYIFQHYAEYIUL,UWRHOYIJWHOVKIY;RKZOWNAYEZNZUYAEYIUL,LNFAC,KAEZNRKWI!
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: N = T
NFVNEMNYRSEANVDB,SRYSHHOHEVDVWMARNVNYARFADDJIWSQNVCNYAJKHAEJSDNYAKA.
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
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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)
- “You have too much respect upon the world: They lose it that do buy it with much care.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act I. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=Y C=V D=N E=P F=W G=J H=X I=K J=B K=C L=Q M=Z N=M O=F P=T Q=H R=G S=A T=L U=E V=R W=S X=I Y=O Z=U
- “Endurance is the crowning quality, And patience all the passion of great hearts.”— James Russell Lowell, 1844, Poems (1844), Columbus (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=U C=T D=V E=N F=B G=M H=F I=P J=R K=Y L=W M=K N=A O=X P=E Q=H R=G S=O T=C U=I V=Q W=Z X=J Y=S Z=D
- “It is past all controversy that what costs dearest is, and ought to be, most valued.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1605, Don Quixote, Part I, Book IV. Chap. XI (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=L C=F D=M E=Y F=N G=C H=A I=D J=V K=U L=O M=H N=R O=K P=S Q=W R=I S=X T=E U=T V=G W=Q X=Z Y=B Z=P
- “Let those that merely talk and never think, That live in the wild anarchy of drink.”— Ben Jonson, 1640, Underwoods, An Epistle, answering to One that asked to be sealed of the Tribe of Ben (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=X C=M D=U E=G F=N G=W H=F I=Z J=P K=E L=S M=K N=H O=T P=C Q=L R=J S=I T=O U=Y V=D W=B X=A Y=R Z=Q
- “Take her up tenderly, Lift her with care; Fashioned so slenderly, Young, and so fair!”— Thomas Hood, 1844, The Bridge of Sighs (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=Q C=G D=Z E=D F=U G=V H=T I=R J=W K=A L=Y M=X N=O O=H P=K Q=P R=F S=J T=B U=L V=C W=I X=M Y=E Z=S
- “Two truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act I. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=D C=F D=L E=R F=W G=X H=P I=N J=I K=M L=Z M=U N=T O=Y P=B Q=C R=S S=A T=Q U=K V=O W=G X=V Y=H Z=J