Puzzle 1
Starter clue: V = E
MITKXCDLEVXSD,TVWTVXEVXCDLEVOTVVGV,ZQNMXCDLEVXLITX,IDHOQNXXNKXCDLEVLTVVX.
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 141
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: E = O
KEAGSIABBGQYOEDXEOYRLEDEHOYCALCRCRETQCEGXQRPQLTSQFTQQCEHOEDCYDFALDLRZ.
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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- V
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: J = E
GAJMJZMJEJVUAQCQV'GEPVCZKQBGKJPVWSPFSJCKTBJPIGAJNFZVQVTNWJGGZTSJCZKQBG.
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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- V
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: R = E
JCWDIRMQRNVOERWCIZSWFCOTNCKWOEWSOERIWARTCMOERHLNCPNHIRVWSEFUTCINKRLOZ.
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: B = A
OQIYFIRZFVCXRKFQBFBWIGOBUPHRNIGRZICBPWUHBOURPBPMIJQUKBGBOURPZRGBKKCIP.
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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- V
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: R = A
RJRSLKFPEVRUQQHWHJUCRLSHYQMPLSXERQLQZBPHYQMHKPGMHMRFPELKPSYRERTHFPMLJ.
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)
- “Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze, Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle I. Line 271 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=J C=I D=N E=H F=V G=Z H=D I=A J=K K=M L=T M=W N=O O=B P=Y Q=L R=C S=U T=R U=Q V=E W=F X=S Y=P Z=G
- “Would puzzle a convocation of casuists to resolve their degrees of consanguinity.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1605, Don Quixote, Part I, Book III. Chap. VIII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=Z C=S D=N E=O F=G G=L H=F I=P J=K K=W L=I M=J N=Q O=C P=H Q=E R=T S=D T=R U=B V=X W=M X=V Y=A Z=Y
- “There are men who don't mind about being kicked blue if they can only get talked about.”— George Eliot, 1872, MiddlemarchCipher key: A=H B=U C=D D=J E=M F=C G=T H=Q I=F J=E K=B L=P M=R N=Y O=X P=I Q=O R=V S=K T=L U=W V=N W=G X=S Y=Z Z=A
- “Knowledge is the only fountain both of the love and the principles of human liberty.”— Daniel Webster, 1843, Completion of Bunker Hill Monument, June 17, 1843. P. 93 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=Z C=N D=W E=H F=U G=X H=P I=L J=K K=B L=R M=D N=I O=T P=C Q=G R=E S=F T=A U=M V=S W=O X=J Y=Q Z=Y
- “The use of symbols has a certain power of emancipation and exhilaration for all men.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=J B=A C=M D=Q E=G F=S G=R H=P I=E J=X K=L L=K M=D N=W O=T P=N Q=H R=O S=Z T=V U=I V=Y W=C X=B Y=U Z=F
- “A man is very apt to complain of the ingratitude of those who have risen far above him.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VI. Chap. IV. 1776 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=D C=L D=J E=R F=V G=W H=O I=Z J=M K=S L=I M=H N=Q O=K P=E Q=T R=A S=N T=B U=P V=Y W=C X=G Y=F Z=U