Puzzle 1
Starter clue: P = E
DGNBPKDIWQGIKX!RIKSZGL,KXPCGLPNORGJPLHKXPOTPVOZTOJPPOVXGRUPVKGDXHTWGJP;LHEPOTXHTLHWWPMKPZETXHTRGIZEWPTTBNOVP.
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 160
5 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: S = H
SELSOUQYUBWSUBWXPYSPROBUBWXPYSJQOO;JPQGSUYSOSULSONEHOL,GSUYYSEBMLSOLSPGL;VOYNEHOLSOBPYYEFFITWNDOBYNTEWOSELXPTBYV.
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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- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Y = E
NQYTYWTZYWXCFYDOSCCDYNKDUOUPCRUYBYDIYXWDYNWNQWRYTYDFCUYUNBCZKYRNQCNCDYUWNZOFONYHNWNQYTQLROSCZWIEYSNOBYRWXZOXY.
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
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: F = I
YFIJSYKVOQWVPFOSQVPFOJZVYZL,PDXYQMZXSQHYZPX,YPWZDS,PDXRCZ;RCFSYFIJSYKLQD,PDXRJQOS-YFMZXHPFD,VQOWQDPOEJRRZYXQWRFIJFDMPFD.
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
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- U
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = E
KEGNQXOQXOGGO,PRKEIEGXQKGVGLDQZGZDYMKQRXYXOIEGXQKQZGNSHRFGOYPRMKQXWMQLF,NRUGZZKLYQAEKRXIYLOXRKKEGHGZZ,YXOKRQKZRPBGDK.
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 (5 solutions)
- “Forgetful youth! but know, the Power above with ease can save each object of his love; Wide as his will extends his boundless grace.”— Alexander Pope, 1726, The Odyssey of Homer (Pope's translation), Book III. Line 285 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=G C=P D=F E=D F=Q G=O H=I I=U J=V K=T L=W M=X N=R O=A P=E Q=Y R=B S=K T=S U=J V=C W=L X=H Y=M Z=N
- “His heart and hand both open and both free; For what he has he gives, what thinks he shows; Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty.”— William Shakespeare, 1602, Troilus and Cressida, Act IV. Sc. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=N C=Q D=M E=I F=L G=W H=V I=J J=F K=Z L=S M=K N=G O=E P=O Q=R R=P S=H T=U U=A V=Y W=D X=B Y=T Z=X
- “The people of America are turning as never before to those permanent values that are not limited to the physical objectives of life.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1935, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=X B=V C=A D=R E=J F=M G=K H=D I=B J=Z K=U L=Y M=Q N=T O=I P=G Q=H R=S S=C T=P U=N V=W W=O X=F Y=E Z=L
- “Lightly from fair to fair he flew, And loved to plead, lament, and sue; Suit lightly won, and short-lived pain, For monarchs seldom sigh in vain.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1808, Marmion, Canto V. Stanza 9 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=X C=U D=N E=C F=I G=B H=P I=G J=H K=Y L=W M=V N=Z O=R P=A Q=O R=S S=T T=Q U=K V=F W=M X=D Y=L Z=E
- “The mind indeed, both when it exercises caution and when it is employed about inquiry, moves straight onward not the less, and to its object.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=G B=J C=F D=C E=H F=Y G=E H=L I=W J=Z K=T L=R M=U N=M O=D P=B Q=I R=O S=P T=K U=V V=X W=Q X=N Y=A Z=S