Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = E
PBJAQSYGBLABMSTWSCRBDAGIBCGZMFQYGDJSVBQBYZNBXQSCGQDYDAGKDTZSZHCTYZGJCJBMSZYPBBNKBHSSDVDTXCSGABHDAGQB.
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 158
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: O = E
LOXIWORDQODENREYGYDDYXONMVQTOYYONIQRVQMAVNVY,IQRLOXIWOMXDLQYXOEYUDMYCDNSOINIQPOVQOZIPYVQHDENDLQNVHXYM.
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: B = E
WQBBOGWQMOZVOIBZFNOGEFLZ,WQOWWQBVEYIFTIBZLSWFGPVOY,ZWLIEFLZFTHQOYKBOYIRSBOZBIMEWQYFNBSWP,VEKQWABEYILSKBI.
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: F = T
UPFFCPEFCBKHTDLPEFXVJHFFCPLVPXFAPMF,XETFCPBSOUUAPLXOEZHOPF,XETFCJHSOUFEJFVPMPPEPOFCPARHAMHOEDJAXIJOTOED.
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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- Y
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: A = H
QNXALDDXYGN[XAWJYREOVXAWGETWO]LXLDDAYZOAYZCSIALOPWOSLXNETELMD,EOVAYZZLDVYCLDEMZENDEOYTWGCEXIAJYGDXGWOPXA.
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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- U
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: L = T
OFGSMFLEFWXUAUYLUXICQCSYRLKESVELEFKCPFRVUYLSYDCGGIOXFCM,ODLSLRLCYZRNSXACYZLCAFRLEFNDXIUNLEFKCLFXCXUDYZSL.
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 must frequently take our bearings from these fixed stars of our political firmament if we expect to hold a true course.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1925, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=U B=E C=A D=O E=J F=G G=R H=C I=B J=M K=P L=Q M=N N=X O=Z P=W Q=S R=K S=T T=L U=V V=H W=Y X=D Y=F Z=I
- “We have done our duty to others in letter and in spirit, and we have shown the utmost forbearance in exacting our own rights.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1903, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=P B=J C=F D=O E=U F=Z G=Y H=G I=A J=K K=Q L=W M=S N=R O=E P=C Q=N R=D S=B T=L U=M V=I W=V X=H Y=T Z=X
- “The earth was made so various, that the mind of desultory man, studious of change and pleased with novelty, might be indulged.”— William Cowper, 1785, The Task, Book I. The Sofa. Line 506 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=E C=K D=J E=I F=O G=R H=C I=D J=X K=G L=U M=W N=V O=A P=Y Q=H R=P S=L T=F U=Q V=M W=T X=Z Y=N Z=S
- “Let then thy judgment about them be at rest, and they will remain quiet, and thou wilt not be seen either pursuing or avoiding.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=R B=Y C=H D=G E=N F=T G=X H=U I=V J=O K=J L=M M=S N=F O=I P=E Q=C R=P S=W T=D U=L V=B W=K X=A Y=Z Z=Q
- “By this story [The Fox and the Raven] it is shown how much ingenuity avails, and how wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.”— Phaedrus, 25, Fables, Book I. Fable 13, 13 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=Z C=M D=S E=A F=Q G=R H=P I=C J=F K=J L=I M=L N=Y O=N P=G Q=B R=X S=U T=V U=K V=D W=E X=T Y=O Z=W
- “Be like the promontory against which the waves continually break, but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=M B=Q C=A D=U E=H F=E G=L H=J I=Y J=X K=W L=T M=K N=F O=B P=V Q=G R=S S=I T=Z U=O V=C W=P X=R Y=N Z=D