Puzzle 1
Starter clue: W = E
IUWTCVICNWMSCEWTIUWUFMZ;FYZIUWPWFGIUWTIMCYH.
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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- R
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- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Laozi 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: M = T
JQWKNMBDMDWRNMWOAMXVMWHRNRRUMQTRSDWDKQGOADX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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- M
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = A
QTSTDABZOBEDABZZHYYNUTSIGUTW;TDABZIUTDA,XBEQTSIZDEFSC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: M = N
HAIMBJIHABHYBMNIMBJIRVGMUHHAIIMRQTVMWBMRQMYABMWVMWMBJI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: F = I
XBPHFUNLREFVQVGFAFX-KFHPXBFUN,QULOQUURXJPNRXJTQOXFSPLRFUN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: P = H
UCUHCPKIWNPPUHLICSXOULNPUSHTMANKTXCCPXCPTRXLXRRISJMUHPCPTS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- L
- M
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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)
- “The soft overcomes the hard; and the weak the strong.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=Z C=O D=Y E=M F=A G=K H=G I=T J=P K=Q L=X M=R N=V O=I P=W Q=U R=B S=C T=S U=H V=F W=E X=J Y=N Z=D
- “Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=H C=J D=A E=F F=V G=X H=U I=K J=W K=D L=Q M=T N=S O=I P=Z Q=O R=E S=P T=B U=M V=Y W=R X=L Y=G Z=N
- “Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=I C=G D=T E=R F=O G=W H=U I=D J=C K=V L=X M=J N=L O=B P=Y Q=M R=Q S=N T=A U=E V=Z W=K X=F Y=P Z=S
- “The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=A C=W D=Q E=X F=P G=S H=T I=E J=M K=L L=Z M=N N=B O=K P=V Q=U R=D S=F T=R U=O V=I W=G X=Y Y=C Z=J
- “The kingdom is a spirit-like thing, and cannot be got by active doing.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=H C=J D=W E=M F=I G=P H=K I=U J=B K=L L=D M=F N=G O=C P=E Q=A R=O S=V T=Y U=N V=S W=Z X=T Y=Q Z=X
- “It is through his not making himself great that he can accomplish them.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=W C=T D=B E=X F=Z G=Q H=S I=O J=P K=R L=N M=L N=G O=K P=H Q=D R=C S=M T=E U=I V=J W=U X=A Y=V Z=Y