Puzzle 1
Starter clue: C = R
PWRBCIFBZFLRKCMMVMVXCLWHFAWNBQOZILC-UCMMV.
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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- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
John Milton Cryptograms Set 1
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: V = E
NVDUVBNAJHVQSFYHAUR,ZUTXIAQTFNVQYSFWKNWJV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Y = O
AYYQ,WSTRYETPYRRVCMPLWTQ,RYETLUVCQLCWAEYBF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: C = S
FPNXUVC,MXQLURFLXUC,INLUGVMXQC,BLNFJVC,IXSVNC.
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: B = I
UBWBQBSLYWGKXY,ENWZSOWGOWBSOY,NOMEUSCBOQEGGY.
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 6
Starter clue: H = O
XFHKJFXVXFBXUHPKLXBQNGHUYFBQGHLSHKVLKGZYQV.
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)
- “Under the shady roof of branching elm star-proof.”— John Milton, 1645, Arcades, Line 88 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=E C=R D=Q E=W F=H G=K H=C I=T J=Z K=Y L=A M=O N=G O=M P=U Q=L R=D S=V T=X U=P V=F W=N X=B Y=J Z=S
- “He knew Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme.”— John Milton, 1638, Lycidas, Line 10 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=W C=J D=K E=Z F=T G=P H=S I=U J=M K=R L=V M=C N=H O=X P=Q Q=L R=G S=F T=D U=N V=E W=Y X=B Y=O Z=A
- “Good, the more Communicated, more abundant grows.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book V. Line 71 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=W C=N D=Y E=R F=S G=L H=P I=F J=V K=Q L=A M=I N=Z O=J P=C Q=D R=M S=H T=E U=B V=U W=T X=K Y=O Z=X
- “Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book V. Line 601 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=V C=S D=G E=J F=T G=C H=Q I=P J=U K=X L=I M=D N=R O=Y P=H Q=M R=A S=W T=F U=N V=E W=Z X=O Y=K Z=B
- “Litigious terms, fat contentions, and flowing fees.”— John Milton, 1644, Of Education, Tractate of Education (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=I C=W D=J E=F F=P G=E H=V I=Z J=Q K=R L=U M=D N=A O=N P=X Q=G R=Y S=O T=K U=L V=H W=T X=M Y=S Z=C
- “Thoughts that voluntary move Harmonious numbers.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book III. Line 37 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=A C=K D=F E=Q F=H G=M H=O I=Z J=G K=U L=N M=J N=Y O=W P=L Q=R R=C S=I T=X U=V V=S W=D X=T Y=E Z=B