Puzzle 1
Starter clue: D = I
TYMZDPAWVUIDBDXDSCMDWPPYCUDMREYUDKDCP,OVMTYCUYHYMWPXHCMMZYIWIA-IUWTDPJCPKMZYEWUPDPJRMCU.
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 155
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 = T
WODYUPE,JMUNLYEEUXURNDEWKMWOCSWOXZFDBWPWEEUCZZOCEWUODCOXPMGNWPMRNDEWKMIPUTEYMTWOPMENPO.
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: M = E
HDHCDQMYATBLIMTIVMBQTKPWMDQMLJACMARCDTAHMC;PVVDQMEQHVFAMLFT,HCGMPVTJCVRDTIAMCMAZMDQMDMOD.
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: V = O
RWCSVKGFTUVXGPQRDUAPGRDVFVLBVXNFVPVFOCXUAQRZCLVXOVRRCFDFRWCUGTEWGQCVLCMGFCQECFRYXVLDRQ.
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: L = E
ODLGLSQCXOEWKWVODLKXOEWKXCDESDZXAJIQJORLJQMDODXOODLAJDXCCJLGPLXCCULWUCLZEODLNQXCBQJOEML.
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: J = T
JSHKYWRJOQMUMJERHPQJSHRYJYWHKPVGMYJMJSHLWYNSVOHYMKJSHC,UMYJMSRCZSMYVROHOJSHCKMYJSHCVYIHJ.
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)
- “We think our civilization near its meridian, but we are yet only at the cock-crowing and the morning star.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=K B=V C=A D=I E=M F=X G=J H=Y I=C J=G K=D L=Q M=T N=P O=B P=N Q=F R=S S=Z T=W U=R V=U W=O X=L Y=E Z=H
- “In short, we ought to do justice in a kindly spirit to all nations and require justice from them in return.”— James Buchanan, 1857, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=B B=P C=A D=S E=T F=Y G=Q H=Z I=F J=W K=C L=G M=E N=U O=N P=R Q=V R=J S=K T=M U=O V=X W=I X=D Y=H Z=L
- “It is the grown people who make the nursery stories; all the children do, is jealously to preserve the text.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=R B=W C=S D=T E=C F=D G=J H=I I=P J=U K=M L=N M=E N=F O=X P=A Q=H R=Y S=Z T=O U=Q V=L W=K X=B Y=G Z=V
- “The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933, First Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=U B=W C=E D=I E=C F=N G=A H=Z I=X J=Q K=Y L=F M=V N=K O=G P=L Q=S R=T S=J T=D U=M V=O W=H X=R Y=P Z=B
- “The regulation of the national highways must be such that they shall serve all people with equal justice.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1908, Eighth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=Y B=J C=L D=H E=I F=D G=R H=K I=M J=S K=N L=E M=C N=Q O=T P=V Q=U R=B S=G T=X U=P V=F W=O X=A Y=Z Z=W
- “The fruits do not yield their true flavor to the purchaser of them, nor to him who raises them for the market.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=X B=Q C=M D=J E=Y F=G G=V H=E I=K J=T K=F L=P M=O N=C O=S P=L Q=D R=I S=H T=Z U=N V=A W=U X=B Y=R Z=W