Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = E
MVHKAQMNNRSMYAWSUBCMYB,HKACARSXBFYSUBRCBNN.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Hard Cryptograms Set 16
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: P = A
MURHQCPXTKRPVZDMPXRTT,PXOKRMMURURXWJKHPQPH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: B = T
MPLZFXJV'BHSVTVBJBUOLJSBUJABUOFMOOKTVWGJMA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: I = H
IVPIQIFMTQIQEMVQCIAMQPTAMVLVUDPIVUVFKIQXV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: B = T
BZSFRKEXYYITXKPBNYXPZBEZJBYJVRKMSTBZSFKNE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Z = E
FNFDHLNFBZNLEAVTGYZDDIYZHNYZYLPDZFDLHOFKZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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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)
- “If you will stir up the mire, you must bear the smell.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=U B=E C=M D=C E=X F=A G=V H=Y I=Q J=Z K=O L=G M=I N=L O=D P=K Q=W R=S S=T T=N U=H V=F W=P X=B Y=R Z=J
- “They wrangle about an egg, and let the hens fly away.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=K C=R D=U E=Z F=I G=C H=Y I=X J=F K=L L=J M=T N=V O=D P=A Q=W R=E S=P T=G U=H V=B W=S X=N Y=Q Z=O
- “Lambs don't run into the mouth of the sleeping wolf.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=T C=Z D=C E=J F=S G=W H=R I=Q J=O K=P L=M M=L N=K O=E P=A Q=X R=Y S=U T=I U=H V=N W=G X=D Y=V Z=B
- “He who has no house of his own is everywhere at home.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=L C=F D=Y E=U F=A G=K H=J I=H J=Z K=T L=V M=S N=C O=G P=W Q=O R=Q S=X T=N U=R V=E W=B X=M Y=D Z=P
- “The sun will bring to light what lay under the snow.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=C B=T C=Z D=F E=W F=S G=M H=P I=B J=A K=N L=J M=D N=O O=K P=G Q=V R=U S=E T=R U=Q V=Y W=X X=I Y=L Z=H
- “It is no time to play chess when the house is on fire.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=L B=M C=D D=S E=P F=I G=C H=N I=W J=B K=R L=O M=X N=T O=F P=U Q=V R=Z S=G T=Y U=K V=A W=J X=Q Y=H Z=E