Puzzle 1
Starter clue: W = E
BDGHS,PWBBWZBKHXWAWZPWCDZW,YWEXDYBKWHQINZHBNDXQDCKMLHXENXG,HXGQKHZWBKWL.
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 139
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: D = E
GPDAOIGEONQDYWCDJYWCANDGD;GPDYIWWFDH,JGIOEMPG;GPDDCAGK,SXNN;GPDLWIRWXG,RDL.
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: C = E
GCXFECLNDTCFKQJCALOXALYALUNPFVCLCENTCLSCOXFOAKNLTIZCFKQJCWVIAOKGNJYK.
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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- W
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: J = N
LTZHUZCRFKIYJTFJZ,TJJFRUJRUYJXLUYQCL;YJXLTZHUZCATRLUZ,TWJFAYJRUFVOUYQCL.
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 = A
OSZTQKUSKDCMSKQZY,WETHLLWIQS,MWZYOGKUS;WEDHZ,IVKDVJSKDLOSZMSKQZYKDCTQKUS.
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: H = A
AONATOQIHQRHWOAZYLHJOTDWOMHYQNYENFLQIHQAZQUNAAOJLNYQIOJHDTJNHCQJHUWL.
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)
- “Today, better than ever before, we know the aspirations of humankind, and share them.”— Warren G. Harding, 1921, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=V B=T C=F D=O E=K F=X G=D H=A I=P J=Q K=H L=M M=U N=I O=J P=B Q=S R=L S=Y T=Z U=C V=G W=E X=N Y=W Z=R
- “The partial becomes complete; the crooked, straight; the empty, full; the worn out, new.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=X C=M D=E E=I F=K G=T H=D I=R J=S K=Y L=W M=G N=L O=A P=H Q=B R=N S=F T=Q U=Z V=J W=O X=U Y=C Z=V
- “We have no pleasure in thinking of a benevolence that is only measured by its works.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=I B=X C=E D=P E=V F=A G=W H=Z I=Y J=R K=S L=N M=J N=O O=T P=F Q=U R=Q S=C T=L U=G V=B W=D X=H Y=K Z=M
- “His best companions, innocence and health; And his best riches, ignorance of wealth.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1770, The Deserted Village, Line 61 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=Y C=T D=K E=J F=O G=V H=B I=P J=N K=M L=H M=Z N=U O=W P=Q Q=L R=C S=X T=I U=E V=F W=G X=D Y=A Z=S
- “Get place and wealth, if possible, with grace; If not, by any means get wealth and place.”— Alexander Pope, 1738, Imitations of Horace, Satires, Epistles, and Odes of Horace. Epistle I. Book I. Line 103 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=J C=D D=N E=F F=Z G=R H=O I=B J=M K=A L=S M=W N=U O=G P=X Q=L R=Q S=E T=P U=C V=Y W=I X=K Y=H Z=T
- “People that make puns are like wanton boys that put coppers on the railroad tracks.”— Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1858, The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, I (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=Q C=D D=I E=B F=Y G=X H=A I=H J=R K=F L=S M=W N=O O=E P=Z Q=T R=M S=V T=L U=C V=G W=K X=J Y=N Z=U