Puzzle 1
Starter clue: F = A
DFXFXAPJGWFOPLVWQGKJNKFGWU'ZPJQOSEGKFWUKZQDUSLCLXKKXDUFXWLXIGFCLZUPKXW?
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
John Milton Cryptograms Set 7
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: D = R
WNHDBKYTZILILKRY,WDWNLRWYTZIODLTDY,CELRW,HUTSF,TZIVDTB,CLRETUUREWLDRDQNGWDB.
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: D = E
JDEYPJYAKBDEYNEDQRMBKVDUWRDAYJDKMJDAIGKBWEAFBDAAMEFJYAKKBVSGXDHKKUDSWN.
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
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: W = E
JSUWCIWAZWLHWNCKZWCAZWLUGL,JSTWGAL!EYGKZYJYOWIAZNAHPIAESGIATWKSIWNCQBYYQ.
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
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- T
- U
- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: K = O
KSXTZWYLSIKQWZ!PKYKKPWZFIKQPFGLFIXYLWM,YKSLYTIEWPJZTUZKYWSXMTPOLTUWIWYYIH.
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
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: V = R
IYWGEPPMGTYEVVEVELSYEFWFYZPCQVESFIYVWZIFIYWLEVREVGZGPSZGPWVMGTAZFFWGTWV.
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
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)
- “Can any mortal mixture of earth's mould Breathe such divine enchanting ravishment?”— John Milton, 1637, Comus, Line 244 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=J C=V D=C E=B F=A G=R H=K I=G J=O K=E L=I M=W N=F O=L P=M Q=U R=Q S=D T=Z U=H V=X W=T X=N Y=P Z=S
- “Embryos and idiots, eremites and friars, White, black, and gray, with all their trumpery.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book III. Line 474 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=Y C=W D=R E=H F=K G=P H=B I=D J=X K=O L=I M=Z N=M O=F P=V Q=U R=T S=C T=A U=L V=G W=E X=Q Y=S Z=N
- “Men of most renowned virtue have sometimes by transgressing most truly kept the law.”— John Milton, 1645, Tetrachordon (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=R C=Z D=E E=N F=G G=Y H=P I=B J=M K=T L=Q M=I N=W O=X P=F Q=D R=V S=L T=J U=H V=U W=A X=K Y=O Z=C
- “License they mean when they cry, Liberty! For who loves that must first be wise and good.”— John Milton, 1673, On the Detraction which followed upon my writing certain Treatises, which followed upon my writing certain Treatises (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=G C=N D=X E=F F=Q G=R H=M I=S J=L K=W L=Y M=J N=A O=V P=U Q=D R=K S=I T=B U=C V=P W=E X=Z Y=O Z=H
- “O fairest flower! no sooner blown but blasted, Soft silken primrose fading timelessly.”— John Milton, 1673, Ode on the Death of a Fair Infant, dying of a Cough (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=X C=J D=Q E=K F=B G=U H=Y I=L J=P K=O L=T M=D N=V O=G P=N Q=W R=Z S=F T=I U=M V=H W=E X=A Y=S Z=R
- “The nodding horror of whose shady brows Threats the forlorn and wandering passenger.”— John Milton, 1637, Comus, Line 38 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=U C=Y D=C E=O F=S G=N H=J I=T J=Z K=M L=F M=I N=Q O=X P=D Q=B R=L S=W T=G U=K V=R W=E X=V Y=H Z=A