Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Q = E
TONCAQYVXOAKNLSQLRQAPLUQ,SCNVXQUCVNSQLRQAPLUQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
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- O
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Hard Cryptograms Set 42
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 = E
XYJGODGQXBGOCIPXZ.PZCMM,IFGUPIIPZEJGCJXZPJYGJI.
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: M = E
NDMJBVLSVRVPZJEM,RZTMDMMPNDVHBVLRZTMFBRDMDZJP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: F = O
EVHEFKFFLMFILIFHMZFGVFQAEVPJZVAEJIEVHEFYKJCM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: O = E
FOVODQOYOQIPXBMODYOMKMFOHPIPNVODQOYOQIPNSOBM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: V = E
FPFQXLUYQPLIVBFVNVFJPCVUYBV,JLPFJPCVVZWVKPFLJ.
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)
- “Nature is hard to be overcome, but she must be overcome.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=R B=W C=U D=L E=Z F=P G=J H=Q I=Y J=X K=D L=O M=F N=T O=A P=C Q=E R=V S=B T=N U=M V=S W=K X=H Y=I Z=G
- “Observe moderation. In all, the fitting season is best.”— Hesiod, 700 BC, Works and Days, Line 694 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=D C=A D=V E=G F=H G=E H=U I=T J=S K=W L=Z M=L N=J O=R P=I Q=M R=C S=Q T=P U=F V=K W=X X=O Y=B Z=N
- “When you go to dance, take heed whom you take by the hand.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=Y C=L D=H E=C F=B G=S H=M I=Z J=N K=I L=U M=E N=W O=J P=D Q=F R=T S=G T=K U=V V=O W=R X=P Y=Q Z=A
- “He who looks on knows more of the game than he who plays.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=D C=Y D=V E=H F=O G=R H=W I=N J=A K=L L=K M=S N=U O=J P=G Q=F R=Q S=Z T=I U=C V=E W=X X=B Y=P Z=M
- “We believe in ourselves as we do not believe in others.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=C B=R C=F D=L E=Y F=W G=Q H=D I=N J=Z K=A L=J M=S N=T O=E P=O Q=I R=X S=H T=M U=K V=B W=G X=U Y=V Z=P
- “It is for us to believe in the rule, not in the exception.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=Y B=L C=H D=M E=W F=I G=J H=G I=B J=N K=P L=O M=D N=V O=A P=T Q=S R=K S=Z T=Q U=R V=E W=C X=F Y=U Z=X