Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = E
EXASQDSTHNNXESONADPSQDSKDCWATQAIAHXQHWSEXVCARCWSUAKEXJCSAPUFQHWKEXWKHAXKA.
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 147
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: L = E
BOKNCNSXMLOMQSMRSGLHBFAGMHLBFOLILUQSNMF,AGNUGMQS-ZNJLOSGLHMOSQFSNHLZWLFVNFX.
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: G = A
EGVGPIGCGHWRLMLKWQVJTLWRGWDJELXEELVKJKWRLORGPOLWXCXVBRGVIGWCXVBCXVWRIXJPY.
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 4
Starter clue: D = A
EKFYGKTZEXQDWZAJXOEDMMDA,LZAJDWXRKSIYGDSWKFTXXF,-EKFYGKT,DQTADJ,DQTQXJGHQNSXFK.
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 5
Starter clue: B = E
QIAFQIHBKFRBUBLJBORQPIHEBEPGJKYFXBEZBIZFJLPGUXIPEJBKVBEBYGHRHIFROZ,IPRRFXB.
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 6
Starter clue: W = E
LWOWOCLRXVWRXJLWUNWVIGPXQPSRNNGWJ!SQRIIQGXYRLIGIGPXTTWXTWULPOIQPZEQIJGHGJW!
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)
- “One that will not plead that cause wherein his tongue must be confuted by his conscience.”— Thomas Fuller, 1642, The Holy and Profane State, The Good Advocate (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=J C=U D=A E=O F=Y G=Z H=I I=R J=F K=C L=V M=Q N=L O=P P=D Q=H R=M S=T T=W U=B V=G W=S X=N Y=K Z=X
- “A spirit goes out of the man who means execution, which out-lives the most untimely ending.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=W B=A C=R D=B E=J F=N G=H H=M I=X J=V K=P L=E M=O N=I O=S P=Z Q=U R=F S=T T=K U=C V=D W=Y X=G Y=Q Z=L
- “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1903, Address to the New York State Agricultural Association, Syracuse, N.Y., September 7, 1903Cipher key: A=J B=K C=W D=L E=F F=U G=A H=Y I=D J=I K=S L=E M=B N=Q O=C P=N Q=P R=H S=V T=Z U=X V=R W=T X=O Y=G Z=M
- “Perched upon a bust of Pallas, just above my chamber door, - Perched, and sat, and nothing more.”— Edgar Allan Poe, 1845, The Raven (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=K C=Z D=A E=P F=R G=H H=I I=Y J=T K=E L=J M=L N=G O=F P=W Q=N R=V S=M T=D U=X V=Q W=B X=O Y=C Z=U
- “In vain sedate reflections we would make when half our knowledge we must snatch, not take.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Moral Essays, Epistle I. Line 39 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=E C=Y D=P E=W F=A G=U H=S I=N J=L K=D L=F M=B N=Q O=C P=O Q=I R=T S=Z T=X U=R V=G W=J X=K Y=M Z=H
- “Remembrance and reflection how allied! What thin partitions sense from thought divide!”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle I. Line 225 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=Y C=B D=Z E=G F=J G=I H=V I=T J=D K=X L=R M=Q N=L O=M P=O Q=H R=A S=W T=S U=F V=C W=E X=N Y=P Z=U