Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = E
SABXKUWBC'XIBPMBSXSABCZSBXGZKBZFWGZSGABXSABNMV.
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 46
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: Q = E
IBBPUEFWKIZQOUIFWQ,TQPYQFQQLFNPHQIZIFTPUEFWFQY.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: J = T
JRXWKAAVJGEXJRZJAKXVIETXPWGVJZAVGRXAUVJGDPKET.
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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- X
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- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: E = O
DXKKRZSL,XTQNEGCZKKRFFCWEZRNEGUDUZFTQXTQCWETEP.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: W = E
JLXPWRWMBZMYBZNYXMWSXUWBA,LGYXFUSGFWXMWPLWYXSW.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: G = E
XPPXYGGFSQSPGNSJGVBXPYQWESCXFNGVBXPIYJSGZSQJF.
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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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 spider's web lets the rat escape and catches the fly.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=H B=E C=R D=M E=Q F=N G=C H=U I=W J=Z K=P L=K M=L N=F O=J P=B Q=X R=V S=T T=G U=I V=Y W=D X=S Y=O Z=A
- “All things are change, yet we need not fear anything new.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=B B=L C=M D=Z E=I F=N G=K H=F I=A J=Q K=S L=D M=J N=O O=C P=T Q=E R=U S=V T=Y U=H V=X W=G X=P Y=W Z=R
- “The millstone that lies undermost also helps to grind.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=L B=K C=J D=G E=N F=B G=O H=F I=U J=T K=I L=V M=Z N=Y O=C P=R Q=W R=H S=X T=D U=P V=S W=M X=E Y=Q Z=A
- “Fall sick, and you will see who is your friend and who not.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=J C=W D=F E=O F=E G=U H=M I=V J=Z K=L L=K M=B N=Y O=Q P=T Q=D R=S S=C T=N U=R V=P W=H X=A Y=X Z=I
- “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”— Emily Bronte, 1847, Wuthering HeightsCipher key: A=F B=O C=B D=P E=Y F=N G=I H=J I=Q J=W K=Z L=H M=R N=L O=C P=T Q=G R=V S=M T=X U=D V=K W=E X=A Y=S Z=U
- “All are entitled to equal rights and equal protection.”— James K. Polk, 1845, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=J B=U C=S D=W E=H F=N G=E H=V I=P J=O K=M L=B M=K N=D O=Z P=L Q=I R=F S=T T=X U=Y V=Q W=G X=A Y=R Z=C