Puzzle 1
Starter clue: F = E
ZDHJCUHFNZPPJCLFKFEZUY,NJX,HJCUHFKCXHQRNUKF.
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Hard Cryptograms Set 14
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: S = N
HEKSVUTMBJLUND,KSWDMJYBSUIXNNHEKSVUIXYETMB.
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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- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: H = T
VJHMCXSDHUJOOGXCPGDOZCXVLDHGURYXHGDVAHRZR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: J = S
VFPVIPOVIJFJITAPVFXYAFJTAPJCPJPCQQVCLJFQH.
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: M = E
UWULWQMBGLWMA-EQMMZWQGWBGXMLWQMBUZZCHAHFRY.
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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- S
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- X
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: S = E
USKUQJFDPSMDWPBQQADUSWADLQASPUWMUSBSDFASD.
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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- S
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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)
- “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act I. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=J C=A D=F E=K F=E G=T H=C I=S J=H K=M L=V M=U N=W O=X P=L Q=R R=O S=B T=Z U=N V=D W=Q X=Y Y=G Z=I
- “Change yourself, and fortune will change with you.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=U C=Z D=F E=H F=M G=K H=C I=W J=R K=A L=S M=O N=L O=X P=Q Q=J R=B S=N T=Y U=E V=G W=D X=I Y=T Z=P
- “Nature fits all her children with something to do.”— James Russell Lowell, 1848, A Fable for Critics (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=K C=R D=I E=B F=V G=H H=T I=Z J=A K=P L=W M=U N=X O=L P=C Q=Y R=O S=F T=J U=S V=N W=Q X=E Y=M Z=D
- “He that chases another does not sit still himself.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=U C=I D=G E=V F=E G=Y H=F I=A J=S K=X L=M M=Q N=J O=C P=T Q=L R=W S=K T=N U=Z V=H W=P X=R Y=D Z=B
- “It is the master-wheel that makes the mill go round.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=M C=G D=F E=W F=U G=A H=O I=Y J=C K=Q L=S M=E N=J O=X P=B Q=H R=N S=Z T=V U=I V=P W=T X=K Y=D Z=L
- “He who listens at doors hears more than he desires.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=D C=Q D=S E=K F=I G=B H=Z I=C J=L K=W L=M M=N N=U O=G P=T Q=O R=F S=E T=V U=H V=J W=A X=Y Y=X Z=P