Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = E
FEYHLHVCEWHPEEAQEYHPACJMTQMMEAFVRQMFRH;FEFPTFIIHLHVSHCICOFVFCVEAQEXQRHPACLPH-LQSHP.
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
Mark Twain Cryptograms Set 7
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: L = E
DYLALJALDSFDMXLEMQJXJQ'EZMTLSYLQYLEYFHZWQFDEOLNHZJDL:SYLQYLNJQ'DJTTFAWMD,JQWSYLQYLNJQ.
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: X = A
WXQOLDJXPDNQIDMREONQASQIXWXVVDQSQDKRLELRVN;JXWAROMZIXBDJXZDISJASQIXWXVVDQSQDKRLNXWZ.
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: C = E
QZKCORTMWTJCRTZCNOKWLCFO;UAWWNQCWWVCOAFFBTFACNOTHNPPNAYALWVTBCLNYCUNIPWNIKBKICKWXKWV.
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: H = E
KXRATAOOXWOKHVHYDAIHWOWPAVOXWLSQVAHJHWOWCNLHVWB?AOATPHIWNTHKHWVHLDOOXHMHVTDLALJDBJHS.
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 6
Starter clue: N = I
YAFYLNMMYACJPSAYLCJWNDYNEJ,RFYNYNMRSDCFMSWNDYNEJNMERXNPSBYEMYNDZYEIEMMNRNXNYNSM;YAFYLNMJ'Y.
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 (6 solutions)
- “It were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse-races.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=H B=J C=O D=Z E=T F=I G=X H=E I=F J=U K=Y L=R M=L N=Q O=P P=S Q=A R=K S=C T=D U=V V=N W=B X=M Y=W Z=G
- “There are two times in a man's life when he should not speculate: when he can't afford it, and when he can.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=R B=Z C=G D=T E=S F=O G=K H=U I=J J=A K=B L=E M=I N=C O=P P=V Q=N R=Q S=W T=F U=X V=Y W=D X=M Y=H Z=L
- “Nature makes the locust with an appetite for crops; man would have made him with an appetite for sand.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=W B=V C=J D=E E=C F=X G=Y H=Q I=H J=M K=F L=R M=L N=S O=U P=K Q=T R=O S=I T=B U=G V=P W=N X=A Y=Z Z=D
- “Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=U B=V C=E D=Q E=X F=L G=P H=J I=D J=K K=I L=S M=N N=O O=F P=Y Q=G R=C S=Z T=A U=B V=H W=T X=W Y=M Z=R
- “Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=I B=L C=F D=O E=Z F=K G=X H=E I=C J=V K=W L=N M=P N=U O=T P=B Q=G R=Y S=D T=S U=Q V=R W=A X=H Y=J Z=M
- “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=R B=D C=A D=C E=O F=U G=Z H=J I=P J=N K=Q L=H M=S N=I O=V P=G Q=W R=B S=E T=Y U=X V=M W=F X=L Y=T Z=K