Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Y = O
CKLCYFJNIMRYSWSYVCKQ'REQYJSMIYRKRCNRRVYSKWSMPYQVWQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Hard Cryptograms Set 75
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: E = O
OUECEIRYESOLRUSEJIBLZISUIOEBABISULTYESOIVGLSRRZLY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
- E
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: R = E
CVRLROOXCMGQRXFER.YRCUQREFEFCRFKCGIRLBCKMFIGCXOFXX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: S = T
SUBIRVIRESSBGAMWNESSUBXMLKRBSJRRMSRMASJSCBSAWEGLS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: L = E
BFDSVTULIXTPPLPCEUSLBJMMUSTUUSLBJMMLIXLIDLJQLPWKU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: N = A
EXAENALQMYHVNGXNRQYHXCRNAX,VMUAJSBCRNCNBYAQBAHNBYF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
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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 builds on another's ground loses his stone and mortar.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=P C=H D=X E=G F=B G=K H=V I=L J=U K=E L=W M=D N=I O=C P=M Q=R R=S S=N T=Q U=Y V=T W=A X=J Y=O Z=F
- “Who does not wish to be like the wolf let him not wear its skin.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=L C=D D=Q E=O F=X G=R H=J I=E J=B K=Z L=I M=G N=Y O=W P=V Q=U R=S S=T T=M U=H V=A W=C X=P Y=N Z=K
- “The bell strikes one. We take no note of time but from its loss.”— Edward Young, 1745, Night Thoughts, Night I. Line 55 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=U C=T D=P E=N F=O G=I H=Q I=M J=V K=F L=B M=R N=J O=L P=C Q=K R=E S=Z T=X U=A V=H W=G X=S Y=W Z=Y
- “The fly flutters about the candle till at last it gets burnt.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=S B=E C=G D=W E=U F=X G=R H=Q I=F J=I K=D L=N M=A N=O O=P P=J Q=V R=L S=T T=M U=H V=Y W=B X=C Y=Z Z=K
- “Much water passes by the mill that the miller perceives not.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=M C=B D=C E=Y F=U G=D H=Q I=R J=I K=O L=E M=L N=K O=J P=S Q=V R=Z S=H T=A U=T V=W W=N X=P Y=G Z=X
- “He that would make a golden gate, must bring a nail to it daily.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=I C=N D=P E=H F=Y G=K H=D I=Q J=B K=J L=W M=U N=A O=Z P=C Q=O R=G S=R T=X U=S V=M W=F X=E Y=L Z=V