Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = E
BRLEMRLRLFOYNITELMRLNRYSBYFFNTTEGLBDLQJLA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- L
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Hard Cryptograms Set 17
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 = I
EBACAPYRCYYLPTSIYDBKTSXPT,CPHSBTSIYIPEIMXF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: A = E
LWAOHGAYCVACLWZJMAACPCLWAWZCUJHKLWAXAHXFA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: G = O
PMXRGBIRBC,WUIIGUGEGBR,WUIUGQOMUPAMYYLRIGUR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: U = E
HKUIWKVDUNEIUXWINXRYSGU,WKVDUCEELWINXNEYOK.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: C = E
RCRUVZFVYLRLRCVUZPCF,BQANZCBLFVYLRLRCFRCCI.
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)
- “When the helm is gone the ship will soon be wrecked.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=W C=U D=R E=N F=L G=B H=Q I=G J=K K=A L=E M=T N=S O=M P=F Q=C R=H S=P T=O U=Y V=X W=Z X=V Y=I Z=J
- “Gold lies deep in the mountain, dirt on the highway.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=L B=O C=D D=M E=G F=Y G=V H=R I=H J=B K=U L=P M=W N=X O=Z P=I Q=K R=S S=T T=N U=J V=F W=C X=A Y=E Z=Q
- “The Government has been in the hands of the people.”— James Monroe, 1817, First Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=E B=W C=N D=J E=X F=L G=V H=O I=K J=S K=F L=T M=B N=U O=G P=I Q=Y R=C S=Z T=Q U=D V=M W=H X=P Y=R Z=A
- “Give orders, and do no more, and nothing will be done.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=W B=R C=S D=Y E=M F=C G=O H=F I=D J=U K=X L=B M=I N=P O=H P=G Q=T R=E S=Z T=J U=N V=K W=A X=V Y=L Z=Q
- “When I have money in my purse, I have food in my mouth.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=L C=F D=V E=O F=J G=S H=W I=N J=Z K=H L=D M=Q N=M O=T P=B Q=X R=P S=R T=C U=E V=A W=I X=Y Y=U Z=K
- “He howls with the wolves, and bleats with the sheep.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=A C=E D=C E=Z F=S G=Y H=X I=P J=F K=Q L=T M=G N=B O=K P=V Q=N R=H S=U T=J U=O V=W W=M X=R Y=I Z=L