Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
ANLASLSCOVDSQWNYECFQEPQNSYAXFASJNQSLEXQNLNOOANENPYQNEXDOPCVPWONQAXDZFSCZAQAXHFNOYQSWNPQECNJSNH.
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 10
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 = E
TIPZDVXDUPISDXNYRRFYIWFVDNFUYUEROFROJR,VOXKRRVWFTNOEROENKDR!TIPZDVXPISDXDVUYRXIPOVENOYUYIFTRW'EDVM!
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: W = E
QEELVWHTSCWTKUFWKUTHKYMEQDFU,YHKUTHKYMVYHEQED,GWOGHYBKOFQNFUFWKLEQVBWTHCKYEWAWHJCWTMTEGWAWHJMCYOWH.
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: R = N
WRIYZKKTRWVTRUCM,DPFLPGVTFZWZYNTQWPCIRKEINNPRBYWZRK,FL'PRUTNRICKWWNY,IRKWRFLTPNLPRBTYBNIFTLINYLFLZRKTN.
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: M = E
VIRQWMBHMK,TUEKMCRXPROUAQMHMBKFWIVEQMKAKRXMEQVELPAIRPKECMFMBIAMXSMIKIPAKMMK,EQXQMICKUMKMMK,TURBMEHMQUMIXAUMCEEPKRAKIQFRAQMKK.
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)
- “He who would not be frustrate of his hope to write well hereafter in laudable things ought himself to be a true poem.”— John Milton, 1642, An Apology for Smectymnuus (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=Y C=U D=N E=R F=S G=C H=M I=K J=P K=X L=W M=Q N=E O=L P=A Q=T R=Z S=O T=J U=V V=D W=B X=I Y=F Z=G
- “How gladly would I meet Mortality my sentence, and be earth Insensible! how glad would lay me down as in my mother's lap!”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book X. Line 775 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=X C=K D=L E=S F=T G=F H=Q I=O J=C K=B L=Z M=P N=I O=N P=W Q=V R=E S=U T=H U=Y V=A W=R X=D Y=M Z=G
- “Innumerable as the stars of night, Or stars of morning, dewdrops which the sun Impearls on every leaf and every flower.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book V. Line 745 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=P C=L D=G E=N F=H G=D H=R I=Q J=Y K=S L=U M=F N=C O=W P=K Q=I R=J S=B T=A U=T V=M W=E X=Z Y=O Z=X
- “On a sudden open fly, With impetuous recoil and jarring sound, Th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate Harsh thunder.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book II. Line 879 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=G C=L D=W E=J F=T G=M H=B I=A J=K K=D L=H M=Y N=R O=V P=I Q=C R=N S=Q T=E U=F V=P W=O X=Z Y=S Z=U
- “Fairy elves, Whose midnight revels by a forest side or fountain some belated peasant sees, Or dreams he sees, while overhead the moon Sits arbitress.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book I. Line 781 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=L C=M D=K E=O F=B G=C H=V I=A J=Z K=S L=U M=E N=Q O=G P=N Q=R R=I S=P T=W U=H V=F W=Y X=D Y=J Z=X