Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Q = E
SRSURVYNFTVRVQSYPNRGQSPTZFCCNZRVQIUQCDQURVMRRVQHXMPMZZNYJRNUQQIANYPMPJPNRMOOQMYPQAMPJXNIOCQRQ.
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 4
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: X = E
RBXLXFKZDNBUBXFAXDFDVXFLRBFLXFHPXRZXDVMLXFDVWZDRSDMXRBMKPZDCSKHXWFMKXRBXUVZDZRPSAXZJ,ZLJZL,RBXQKXPAXK.
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: C = E
CGCIUQFCAFOKCZQIEVDFQZJOKXOOKCJQYOQGCIHQTCJOKCKXIV,XFVOKCZCXDOKCJOIQFB,MLOFQQFCAJXMECOQHXIIUAOQLOAFWIXHOAHC.
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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- X
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: H = E
VYHEDUHVYRVYHHWNHZSIMDUDVYHUI,VYHEDUHSDHIYHNDIIHIIDMYFIDGZ;VYHEDUHVYRVYHCFKHIVDDVYHUI,VYHEDUHSDHIYHYRKHYFEIHPM.
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
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- U
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: P = E
LUUMFCCFEWUYYBFXJHFXYBPKDTUMLTPHWTPYDLTFHPCTDOLSTPIFDWHHYLYPFXKBFEBYBPGKPTPPLHG,LXMLUUJTPLYYBFXJHCTDODXPFXKBFEBYBPGKPTPHOLUU.
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)
- “It is through their not being full of themselves that they can afford to seem worn and not appear new and complete.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=Z C=L D=V E=J F=U G=B H=Y I=M J=D K=Q L=K M=A N=O O=P P=N Q=E R=T S=I T=G U=S V=H W=X X=C Y=R Z=F
- “The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is because they do not live of, or for, themselves.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=H C=G D=N E=Q F=A G=P H=B I=K J=F K=S L=R M=U N=W O=J P=L Q=M R=T S=I T=X U=Y V=D W=C X=E Y=Z Z=O
- “Every one in the world knows that the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak the strong, but no one is able to carry it out in practice.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=G C=E D=K E=L F=N G=V H=C I=R J=S K=H L=U M=B N=Z O=T P=J Q=O R=X S=Q T=M U=Y V=D W=P X=A Y=F Z=W
- “The more that he expends for others, the more does he possess of his own; the more that he gives to others, the more does he have himself.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=Q C=G D=O E=M F=I G=W H=E I=S J=C K=V L=Z M=F N=P O=Y P=L Q=B R=A S=D T=U U=R V=T W=X X=J Y=H Z=N
- “All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a previous state in which they were easy, and all great things from one in which they were small.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=H C=F D=O E=C F=I G=Y H=S I=V J=G K=W L=A M=D N=Z O=M P=E Q=X R=J S=P T=R U=L V=K W=U X=N Y=T Z=B