Puzzle 1
Starter clue: X = E
PXYHGWXUBQFDYHXVZCVUQXIGBPGUFMMXUHGCXRVQX,BPVBHRGUUGUSHWXXRHFUPXYHFMBVLWX.
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 8
5 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: Q = E
EZVVZMLTMYTWZHZUXBVDHQBUXHQTIBVFUPQQBHUPXLTQQL,GMUPIPQLIQIBFQBLRIPQLIQTVQQW.
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: M = I
ZLKBHTKZNMSUMSHWBWMUWNBZTKSKRWMTRZSDMBT,JMHWWMTUZNVZSGZSGTMSUMSUNKABTZAKFHWMO.
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: B = T
YFVMRPASWBVFYCAWVBGMQSBFSTSGFMNBCQBVASBVFJQAFBTSPXBARRTACMNPFRAWVBNQRXBQPAFX.
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
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: R = A
VYAKPQFRSPNDIRSVK,VYAKPVYADKRJLLPSPJSGPKVYRVLRGITNIAMNFAXRIIYPFMAFLKRJLRSVGAJK.
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 (5 solutions)
- “Her silent course advance with inoffensive pace, that spinning sleeps on her soft axle.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book VIII. Line 163 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=T C=V D=U E=K F=O G=I H=S I=W J=Z K=Y L=X M=F N=M O=B P=H Q=C R=P S=G T=Q U=N V=A W=L X=E Y=R Z=D
- “Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book IV. Line 677 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=A C=G D=C E=M F=K G=B H=R I=W J=V K=X L=N M=O N=Q O=Y P=H Q=E R=D S=J T=S U=T V=L W=P X=U Y=F Z=I
- “A poet soaring in the high reason of his fancies, with his garland and singing robes about him.”— John Milton, 1642, The Reason of Church Government, Introduction, Book II (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=E C=X D=C E=Q F=U G=D H=T I=J J=W K=O L=P M=I N=R O=M P=K Q=Y R=F S=N T=S U=G V=L W=H X=V Y=Z Z=A
- “Beholding the bright countenance of truth in the quiet and still air of delightful studies.”— John Milton, 1642, The Reason of Church Government, Introduction, Book II (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=T C=R D=M E=J F=E G=C H=Z I=Y J=Q K=P L=K M=O N=F O=V P=D Q=U R=L S=N T=A U=W V=H W=G X=S Y=B Z=X
- “Those graceful acts, Those thousand decencies that daily flow from all her words and actions.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book VIII. Line 600 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=X C=V D=U E=B F=R G=I H=K I=L J=N K=S L=D M=W N=F O=Q P=E Q=G R=A S=C T=Y U=Z V=T W=J X=M Y=H Z=P