Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
RJNLXWNWETOSNNHPKSCFSCTGNPNGANVEGCRPLKPRNG.
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 24
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: U = E
HKITMPUMCUHPEDETYFGILK,ZIFTUQUPDEHWYTRAKDWU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: I = T
IQPOJGVGIDTGZJVDLPZPWIGOCRVDCUYJDWIQPPCVIQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: D = E
PWDJKVUP-JMLNDAOMUUJMLNJKVUPTDEDLMLZKAKNMTD.
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: D = P
MGUMTMVYDCGEKITXDGDDGHUFCCDGDDGHMFYOVNNVLG.
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: P = E
JPXPAPFWVQPJVVMXVYZNDPJU,IQLQVVQPOZJJHPJVDX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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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)
- “The mule long keeps a kick in reserve for its master.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=Y C=I D=Q E=O F=C G=R H=P I=D J=H K=A L=M M=B N=E O=G P=S Q=Z R=T S=K T=N U=J V=F W=L X=U Y=X Z=W
- “A hundred years is not much, but never is a long while.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=W B=K C=Y D=I E=S F=T G=M H=A I=U J=P K=H L=C M=D N=F O=X P=R Q=V R=G S=Q T=N U=E V=J W=L X=Z Y=O Z=B
- “The spirit of improvement is abroad upon the earth.”— John Quincy Adams, 1825, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=W B=C C=A D=O E=Z F=G G=I H=L I=T J=P K=Q L=V M=X N=J O=S P=E Q=H R=B S=Y T=F U=D V=R W=N X=K Y=U Z=M
- “The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=R B=G C=Y D=E E=V F=X G=M H=J I=B J=F K=A L=N M=I N=D O=W P=T Q=C R=K S=O T=S U=L V=U W=H X=Z Y=Q Z=P
- “He who has plenty of pepper will pepper his cabbage.”— Publilius Syrus, 42 BC, Sententiae (Maxims), 673 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=X C=L D=P E=N F=I G=E H=R I=Y J=Z K=T L=G M=H N=B O=C P=K Q=D R=J S=V T=O U=W V=A W=Q X=F Y=S Z=M
- “Let every one look to himself, and no one will be lost.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=G C=U D=S E=C F=R G=J H=B I=A J=L K=Z L=D M=K N=M O=W P=E Q=N R=Q S=X T=P U=F V=O W=Y X=T Y=H Z=I