Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = O
ASLZADQ'YYWLLXRLPAQLEFKSFHZOFYGAQOZOGAZADQYJPOLQFO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- X
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- Z
Hard Cryptograms Set 74
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
CBKGBPVGSNMEZKCJQPBFDXBFFXCGJPVGSEFXEHPGVCJPNMEZK.
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 3
Starter clue: B = I
VOLDMEDHIBECQOPRQMQW,DEYJGIEBLBMJDPWBLJBSSMLBENCQO.
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 4
Starter clue: I = E
DXXENRIAENIMSBEMWDMKO'BKVGJBIDJINVSEZIBVWNVJIWDMKO.
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: H = E
HZHIUAFHOHHOPTOOQEISVAES,FAAFHOHHOPTOOPILFNHFWHMMU.
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: F = E
OWNPMDFALFPPNALWFWNVWJUQJWULLWFQWFUDZQLWFTNDFXNMF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- L
- M
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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)
- “One hour's sleep before midnight is worth two hours after it.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=O B=K C=X D=U E=M F=I G=W H=G I=Q J=A K=D L=E M=V N=Z O=T P=F Q=R R=B S=N T=C U=Y V=J W=L X=P Y=S Z=H
- “He does not guard himself well who is not always on his guard.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Q B=E C=H D=F E=A F=L G=O H=Y I=C J=I K=D L=K M=U N=G O=Z P=S Q=M R=V S=T T=P U=B V=N W=X X=W Y=J Z=R
- “Put a snake in your bosom, and when it is warm it will sting you.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=Q B=I C=Y D=A E=N F=Z G=H H=K I=E J=W K=F L=T M=S N=G O=U P=R Q=O R=B S=L T=J U=X V=P W=M X=V Y=D Z=C
- “All impediments in fancy's course are motives of more fancy.”— William Shakespeare, 1605, All's Well that Ends Well, Act V. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=S C=Q D=A E=I F=W G=U H=K I=E J=R K=C L=Z M=N N=M O=Y P=X Q=J R=P S=T T=H U=G V=O W=F X=L Y=B Z=V
- “Every one sees his smart coat, no one sees his shrunken belly.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=F C=W D=J E=A F=N G=Z H=E I=R J=P K=G L=U M=L N=K O=S P=H Q=M R=X S=T T=I U=Y V=C W=B X=Q Y=D Z=V
- “Children tell in the highway what they hear by the fireside.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=N B=K C=P D=R E=V F=E G=J H=O I=X J=W K=M L=T M=D N=I O=C P=L Q=Y R=U S=Q T=F U=A V=G W=H X=S Y=Z Z=B