Puzzle 1
Starter clue: D = I
YIXSOMLATSABTDHXFYCDSVDFYMDXSUXKXTESYMDXSYCGEXUGAEDMJDUMLAKCXTEDULDSOUMYMAXKXTEKDSYSFAU.
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 156
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: R = E
LBBMCUZSAZARQSAZASKNDPSXOFCZZFRPKCHR,CXMEBXARJVRXZDPCURNRUYREZDPVXSXZRURAZSXLSXOFCZZFRPCUR.
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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- X
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: R = E
FKPRRYXRMSTSNRLUSTLREDTWTJLKIFLWRUUIWBAJUSFMRPRGJUSUNTPSNISPRLREDTWSNRFLKIFLWRUUIWBAJUSFMR.
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: S = O
KZSNZWUWZGWEESVGZI,KZSNMPWMSGHSKFZSJJGOTALRXWMEGOMSWNJMIQWHHE,VOFTZSQGOTSHFGOFZVQGOTOSMPGOTLJ.
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: X = E
LXYGNWGPAXKNWDPAWVDWWQXNBSWKDAXHQPAPDWQBPNQPORBNXNWQPWQYDOU,DPAPBPXYDUKXOXQJXXZOXIWDNVXMQJXN.
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: A = E
AQAFXCZVUWZLODUVREDCZACVK.CZARAKFACRJLFKAJTZLOJFVCRABTVRUJCPJXHLCRJFFJI.CZAFAVRUJZLOJFVUZADQAU.
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)
- “Among the unequivocal indications of our national prosperity is the flourishing state of our finances.”— John Quincy Adams, 1825, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=E B=Q C=L D=I E=R F=C G=P H=V I=M J=Y K=F L=H M=T N=J O=G P=K Q=B R=X S=N T=U U=S V=D W=Z X=O Y=A Z=W
- “Good artists exist simply in what they make, and consequently are perfectly uninteresting in what they are.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=S B=O C=A D=L E=C F=H G=J H=K I=Z J=Q K=M L=G M=D N=P O=W P=Y Q=X R=E S=I T=V U=R V=U W=B X=N Y=F Z=T
- “If we expect others to rely on our fairness and justice we must show that we rely on their fairness and justice.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1925, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=J B=D C=Q D=Y E=L F=I G=M H=Z I=A J=U K=F L=R M=C N=H O=V P=W Q=B R=E S=T T=O U=S V=G W=N X=P Y=X Z=K
- “From reveries so airy, from the toil of dropping buckets into empty wells, And growing old in drawing nothing up.”— William Cowper, 1785, The Task, Book III. The Garden. Line 188 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=Q C=J D=Z E=S F=D G=I H=L I=Y J=P K=F L=U M=T N=M O=N P=H Q=W R=C S=O T=G U=V V=A W=E X=K Y=X Z=R
- “We must understand that ties of trade bind nations in closest intimacy, and none may receive except as he gives.”— Warren G. Harding, 1921, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=D B=O C=K D=A E=J F=Q G=U H=B I=P J=V K=R L=W M=G N=S O=C P=N Q=I R=L S=F T=Z U=Y V=H W=T X=E Y=M Z=X
- “Everything human is pathetic. The secret source of Humor itself is not joy but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=E B=L C=T D=A E=P F=R G=D H=B I=W J=O K=C L=U M=Z N=K O=M P=J Q=V R=S S=Q T=F U=N V=I W=G X=Y Y=X Z=H