Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Z = E
KIZAKZHZUCGZJXNXADCAZXYGKXGHU,KZNXVVXASLUOLJIZLOGZUEXMZAYAHZGJIZGXUZ.
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 138
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: H = E
XKHDHQXPLETHQKJMHHMHODHHCAYOHWYQXXYESQIFJSWJCRSWWLCSXRAOYWIOSXSISQW.
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: U = E
GOCNTOCDGRPUMGTYFZPUMZNTIUFLUDGFLUDGFTEMFLGFTFEGOOUQUKPUWJNNRNUGKOF.
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 = U
WAETXAZINCSBAFKDVTEXTXAZINE,NCSPVXGVTFCTXAZWAZPU,NCSTXAGFVVENDUCXINZR.
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 5
Starter clue: Z = T
ZFWRTBWMEWTOXWRNOV,CIZZBIXHRJHZX,-PWMLRQHAONKXZBXHRNM,CIZZFXZBHWZNBFHZX.
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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- X
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- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: M = A
DLBGLOOHCYMYLSFHMGDQMSWIMFFMAHFDPC,MCQDLRQYDHZSJMSYDZCAGMCQRHYLYDHFPC.
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)
- “When we desire to confine our words, we commonly say they are spoken under the rose.”— Sir Thomas Browne, 1646, Pseudodoxia Epidemica (Vulgar Errors) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=Z C=I D=F E=P F=G G=R H=D I=H J=T K=W L=Y M=K N=C O=A P=Q Q=X R=J S=L T=V U=S V=M W=B X=O Y=U Z=E
- “The best judges have ever been foremost to disclaim any immunity from criticism.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1906, Sixth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=F B=Q C=N D=B E=D F=L G=W H=E I=C J=A K=H L=U M=V N=Z O=R P=J Q=S R=Y S=I T=G U=X V=P W=M X=T Y=O Z=K
- “Angling may be said to be so like the mathematics that it can never be fully learnt.”— Izaak Walton, 1653, The Complete Angler, Author's Preface (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=Z C=G D=M E=C F=T G=A H=X I=K J=U K=R L=H M=S N=L O=N P=B Q=V R=Y S=J T=I U=E V=P W=F X=Q Y=D Z=O
- “Put your hand quickly to your hat, and slowly in your purse, and you will take no harm.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=U B=Q C=N D=K E=T F=I G=W H=Z I=H J=G K=C L=B M=F N=A O=X P=S Q=J R=M S=D T=Y U=E V=L W=P X=O Y=V Z=R
- “This principle is old, but true as fate, - Kings may love treason, but the traitor hate.”— Thomas Dekker, 1604, The Honest Whore, Part I. Act IV. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=R C=B D=J E=C F=H G=W H=A I=U J=F K=V L=G M=N N=O O=L P=K Q=M R=S S=X T=P U=Z V=D W=I X=E Y=Q Z=T
- “How commentators each dark passage shun, And hold their farthing candle to the sun.”— Edward Young, 1728, Love of Fame, the Universal Passion, Satire VII. Line 97 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=W C=N D=H E=X F=S G=C H=E I=P J=F K=V L=O M=A N=J O=M P=U Q=D R=L S=R T=Y U=B V=Z W=K X=Q Y=T Z=I