Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Y = E
ERZXUYAYDLBTPJWKYURJYBMPEY,YAYDLBTPJWMRZXUKYURJYKYBBYD.
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 94
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: P = E
ZPHMUKATBEWPEMBETTEBHMRKHKPU,HVPR,OPCEBPHVPPWKZIYLUGEAP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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- Y
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = E
YOTLDETSPYBFCTBOPHFUTYPYOTWCTMUTCYOTGETKFYKZTYPPYOTEC.
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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- Y
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: B = E
RTBFBPOJLRTPJXOLULJORFLGOVGRSBKCJVBQPBHBPRLILGFOBQHBO.
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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- Y
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: H = E
IAHXQAHCGRHCBMUHKXWXWGKH,GQGKHGQAHCNCGHNVDWCBVEAKIWZZHX.
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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- Y
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: L = T
LXKNFDKWCSWJGHLXCHINSQRCWLFK;LXKNJGZZJGHLXCHINSQUSJQSWL.
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
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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)
- “Could everything be done twice, everything would be done better.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=T C=P D=R E=C F=M G=S H=K I=A J=N K=B L=Y M=W N=Z O=J P=I Q=X R=O S=Q T=H U=D V=F W=G X=L Y=E Z=U
- “Let us improve our opportunities, then, before the evil days come.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=M B=R C=F D=K E=O F=G G=C H=T I=D J=X K=I L=Y M=U N=Z O=B P=E Q=J R=N S=Q T=P U=S V=H W=V X=W Y=A Z=L
- “They are not wise who give to themselves the credit due to others.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=Q B=W C=S D=A E=R F=I G=C H=G I=J J=K K=D L=Y M=L N=P O=H P=O Q=F R=X S=N T=E U=V V=Z W=M X=B Y=T Z=U
- “There is nothing so monstrous but we can believe it of ourselves.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=D B=E C=A D=Q E=K F=R G=U H=V I=F J=N K=C L=O M=Y N=X O=S P=I Q=L R=T S=W T=H U=M V=B W=Z X=G Y=P Z=J
- “When the river makes no noise, it is either dried up or much swollen.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=H B=M C=R D=P E=C F=Z G=I H=E I=W J=G K=S L=Q M=A N=D O=J P=Y Q=T R=V S=F T=B U=K V=U W=O X=N Y=X Z=L
- “The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of comfort.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=W B=J C=I D=P E=Z F=U G=A H=N I=K J=M K=E L=T M=G N=S O=D P=Q Q=F R=V S=O T=X U=C V=Y W=R X=H Y=B Z=L