Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = A
VULQG,ULQG,ULQG,LWHUYEPARLOPVCDVVD,HQQPKVZPQLARXULQG,YVYLRPKRHJMPSHYEVTYLRREVJPVCULX!
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 9
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: R = O
OHOJJCIJJMRXKRHHQVCKISIYMICHVLQIVYWOKCVJIRYLRKU,EYRBRJWRYBRWIYKTVYW,OKQVJJRYTRHIY.
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: U = T
UKTYTCJGSUYTULYEMGLYEHP,XTYTPZUNNSSGRGHUTPGAKUYNLEMUKGCNWHRNLCTHYUK,UKGCWLERULHPCWNU.
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: V = E
MEVKDWMPRVZKLIYFIWLKZXVWMIKMEVRPPW,BEVWKEVLVKVYMKMEVWZTEMEZLZWEVYAIJIWMZWMVYXDWIYJIAV.
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 5
Starter clue: J = S
GBVGLKMSGIJK,VGJOJHTPWJHNGSGAZHJZKVJPBZOSDHZKBOHGPBJ,OBVNGHZDKOTPDMZOBAKIKTISKEKJLPBOTMZJ.
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)
- “O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon, Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse without all hope of day!”— John Milton, 1671, Samson Agonistes, Line 80 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=Q C=F D=N E=H F=X G=K H=I I=J J=P K=C L=A M=S N=G O=Z P=E Q=R R=L S=W T=U U=D V=O W=M X=Y Y=T Z=V
- “I will tell you now what never yet was heard in tale or song, From old or modern bard, in hall or bower.”— John Milton, 1637, Comus, Line 43 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=M C=T D=P E=F F=X G=J H=W I=E J=L K=N L=S M=Y N=Z O=I P=K Q=H R=O S=V T=B U=G V=A W=D X=U Y=R Z=Q
- “There swift return Diurnal, merely to officiate light Round this opacous earth, this punctual spot.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book VIII. Line 21 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=X C=S D=Q E=N F=V G=I H=A I=J J=W K=H L=U M=D N=O O=K P=L Q=Z R=C S=F T=E U=T V=B W=P X=M Y=R Z=Y
- “The sun to me is dark and silent as the moon, When she deserts the night Hid in her vacant interlunar cave.”— John Milton, 1671, Samson Agonistes, Line 86 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=W C=P D=U E=H F=K G=B H=Z I=A J=C K=S L=D M=T N=J O=Q P=O Q=F R=M S=Y T=G U=X V=E W=N X=L Y=R Z=I
- “In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds on half the nations, and with fear of change Perplexes monarchs.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book I. Line 597 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=N C=J D=F E=X F=Q G=I H=T I=P J=S K=E L=M M=C N=W O=A P=O Q=V R=Y S=L T=R U=Z V=D W=U X=B Y=K Z=H