Puzzle 1
Starter clue: W = E
ZWDZVDVKRJQKRW,GKTBZWHQHCJLWJWHA,TWWHCJLWLRNCJ.
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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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Hard Cryptograms Set 39
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: G = O
PWPGNJPIHEJAHGPGNNTGM,IGGYGNZEHEJAHGJMFPGNAGM.
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 3
Starter clue: R = E
LVRRIJKBJXURJXUVRIKLVB,MVRRJWTK,ICHXCHTULJXNTU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: D = T
SXFSNFNGVCHVBYQDSXVZCCXWYGKDQXTBLZDDSXQNDDNY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: I = E
KBIAILDZRMLRXZMDYIQ,KBCWHBKBICMQDZCVKIAGIKKIP.
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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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Y = A
JYSSTYXFGYSFQKBYGBPFLYSFJYZF,CMBYGBPFLBMSQKMB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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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)
- “He who would rule, must hear and be deaf, see and be blind.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=T C=N D=W E=Y F=X G=M H=A I=G J=D K=U L=B M=Q N=I O=Z P=C Q=R R=L S=J T=S U=P V=O W=E X=V Y=K Z=H
- “Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act IV. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=S C=I D=K E=A F=U G=O H=T I=W J=N K=Z L=C M=G N=F O=J P=E Q=M R=P S=Q T=R U=X V=H W=Y X=V Y=L Z=B
- “The early riser is healthy, cheerful, and industrious.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=B B=Y C=N D=X E=G F=Z G=V H=D I=A J=R K=L L=T M=C N=O O=J P=K Q=M R=E S=P T=U U=S V=H W=F X=I Y=W Z=Q
- “He who would climb the ladder must begin at the bottom.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=K B=I C=D D=T E=Q F=W G=U H=C I=P J=X K=S L=N M=V N=O O=Z P=Y Q=B R=J S=H T=G U=F V=L W=R X=E Y=M Z=A
- “The new is always liked, though the old is often better.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=N B=H C=O D=I E=Z F=V G=B H=G I=E J=M K=T L=W M=L N=Q O=X P=R Q=D R=A S=J T=C U=P V=F W=U X=Y Y=K Z=S
- “Marriages are not as they are made, but as they turn out.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=T C=B D=V E=P F=E G=S H=C I=K J=M K=O L=Y M=U N=W O=F P=H Q=N R=Q S=R T=I U=Z V=J W=L X=G Y=A Z=D