Puzzle 1
Starter clue: T = E
LQTFTVFHTBHHATTFLQTNUTXTPBEMTBUPMNUTJLTMLVQNO,BEMQTMTBHPDNLQLQTOBHHBPQNPJQNHMUTE.
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
Laozi Cryptograms Set 3
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: F = E
ZCVGJQFFACFFBZYUDAGZYWWNDWNDKSFFYKNDLAFYFP,WNFAGZYWIDYYGWBGYUALFKFLHFZWKKNDLAYFKK.
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: T = E
HMHVRTXBFVTUTHVMUFVCKTTCKJOVMKHQHAWMUBMMUTKTCJKTAJJATHAMUTDJKYNHVBRYTMJVMKHQTDHMUUHO.
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: Y = E
MBYCOWGMOGZYQMFYQYGG;MBYGYHRQIOGYHRQRKP;JQIMBYMBOWIOGGBWOQAOQZCWRKMJAOQZSWYHYIYQHYRCRMBYWG.
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: W = T
WCMLMULMIMSZDWCMSTLYXSCTUWWUZDWTWCMWMUBCZDNSZWCTPWSTLXF,UDXWCMUXHUDWUNMULZFZDNILTRDTD-UBWZTD.
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)
- “The people all keep their eyes and ears directed to him, and he deals with them all as his children.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=A C=G D=W E=N F=P G=Q H=L I=J J=C K=V L=T M=D N=I O=M P=S Q=H R=U S=B T=E U=R V=O W=F X=Y Y=Z Z=X
- “If you keep feeling a point that has been sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=L C=F D=A E=Z F=E G=O H=V I=C J=U K=S L=R M=J N=H O=Q P=D Q=K R=M S=B T=X U=G V=Y W=T X=W Y=N Z=I
- “It is because he is thus free from striving that therefore no one in the world is able to strive with him.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=A C=F D=W E=Q F=U G=J H=I I=X J=O K=R L=Y M=T N=D O=M P=Z Q=V R=B S=K T=E U=H V=S W=G X=C Y=L Z=P
- “The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=H C=F D=Z E=X F=L G=S H=C I=D J=A K=M L=V M=T N=W O=I P=Y Q=N R=O S=P T=Q U=B V=U W=R X=J Y=E Z=G
- “There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage arising from non-action.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=C C=H D=N E=K F=S G=Y H=V I=F J=X K=J L=R M=E N=G O=B P=U Q=Z R=M S=W T=O U=A V=P W=T X=D Y=L Z=I