Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = T
VRBGLRGXNXNWRKANKYRNODKCCTHSAKCIRVGDR,NXOKANKKAGXMDKCCTHSAKCIRIRNHKGQHB.
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
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- T
- U
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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Hard Cryptograms Set 143
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: Z = E
YTHZVOZFJZSUZDVIJZVFJZSHNS,YTGZNFS!KMNIJMYMLZOFJDFUXOFKTNOFGZITOZDVAPMMA.
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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- U
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- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: H = T
FHFJWHDYZJWXFVTHQWHWEWVEYJHZWHWLZKPCRJWGHMFHQQFJRDFZVUNZRCDZQZPVCMJQFE.
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 4
Starter clue: W = A
DPDZIAWESWMRSTMKWJJNBRSDHNLDZRNXNMNADLSWRVETOVD,WEXENAWESWMWEINRSDZKWJJ.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: F = E
YDKFKFUVJFDNKDJFADUYFPTFUAFWULBFWJDIUFEFYLBVUWULBFFEFYDNLBFWJUFWOBSDJY.
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 6
Starter clue: Z = E
DQGRUOEZKQDZUYOEU,-YNZXEQUZOGTUZY,YNZXNOPZYNZLIEUNQSIMYNZLIEKT,AHYGIEZSIUZ.
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
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- T
- U
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- 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)
- “We live in an age that reads too much to be wise, and that thinks too much to be beautiful.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=H B=L C=O D=S E=Y F=J G=I H=U I=B J=X K=T L=V M=K N=A O=D P=Z Q=F R=E S=C T=M U=P V=W W=G X=N Y=R Z=Q
- “License they mean when they cry, Liberty! For who loves that must first be wise and good.”— John Milton, 1673, On the Detraction which followed upon my writing certain Treatises, which followed upon my writing certain Treatises (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=X C=Q D=A E=J F=T G=B H=C I=W J=H K=F L=V M=O N=R O=S P=G Q=Z R=K S=Y T=I U=M V=N W=P X=U Y=L Z=E
- “It is a true saying that a man must eat a peck of salt with his friend before he knows him.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1605, Don Quixote, Part I, Book III. Chap. I (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=X C=O D=R E=M F=I G=L H=T I=J J=S K=C L=P M=W N=B O=Z P=K Q=H R=F S=Q T=G U=D V=N W=A X=Y Y=U Z=E
- “Every man has this call of the power to do somewhat unique, and no man has any other call.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=M B=F C=X D=E E=N F=K G=J H=P I=Y J=L K=C L=W M=S N=O O=Q P=V Q=B R=T S=H T=I U=Z V=U W=A X=D Y=G Z=R
- “Some men are of more consequence in their own eyes than in the eyes of their neighbors.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=C B=H C=X D=O E=Y F=E G=J H=K I=W J=R K=M L=T M=D N=F O=G P=Q Q=Z R=V S=B T=U U=N V=A W=I X=P Y=S Z=L
- “Kings are like stars, - they rise and set, they have the worship of the world, but no repose.”— Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1822, Hellas, Line 195 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=Z C=J D=K E=R F=C G=N H=U I=O J=Q K=L L=W M=F N=H O=A P=V Q=I R=G S=P T=D U=S V=M W=X X=Y Y=T Z=E