Puzzle 1
Starter clue: E = T
VEEUJDZMALCDXDHMUXRMALCICVDXR,NACJVXQEAQDEWDC,EAWLCEMALEAEWDWDUCE;EWDAXDEAZPUXRDCMALUXREWDAEWDCEAQDEEWDXDNZEAMAL.
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 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: C = N
RNUNMTHCZUDCPHAFHLJASSYJQSFCFNUCNUDJUBHTDCDCPHCSRNUWGUWJSC'JJRHCQHWQ;NUCUXUWEDCQSCURNHRNUNHJRSUBHTDCUZLASSYDCPMG.
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: R = T
RJZCZYWXGKQZWPWKYJG,KGRLZTKAWLMZRGVTKHWKFGRJZCVWNMRYTRJJTXQGWM,QGPDMWTKZHRJWRRJZCZYZCZRGGPWKFDCZJTXRGCTQRGWHXTKTR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: G = E
KWGMYKBVCRFSCGMWYCDVFMVFATHYAAOGISBGT.KWGMYKBVCRFSCGMWYCDVFMVFATHYAAFBOGISBGT.KWGMYKCWGQSBTVILGOKVBCWYCQGGLKYLYOOVC.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: C = I
CLCMDCMDVEJXWXGCURXEWXLPDCSDCXHZVWXSWMDCMECXKJXKDCMHWWZCXQM,HVUXCMDWMDCEDCMCKWJZM,JXKMWLMDCERXDCMURJKJXKYWWNMDCECXCL.
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 takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart; the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=O B=C C=R D=E E=T F=B G=X H=M I=F J=K K=Q L=U M=Y N=W O=Z P=L Q=G R=D S=J T=V U=A V=I W=H X=N Y=P Z=S
- “The human being always looks down when he is examining another person's standard; he never find one that he has to examine by looking up.”— Mark Twain, 1906, What Is Man? and Other EssaysCipher key: A=L B=X C=N D=I E=F F=W G=P H=A I=J J=S K=Q L=Y M=U N=H O=Z P=G Q=D R=T S=O T=M U=E V=C W=R X=V Y=K Z=B
- “There was once a man who, not being able to find any other fault with his coal, complained that there were too many prehistoric toads in it.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=G B=K C=R D=P E=J F=Y G=O H=D I=V J=H K=N L=B M=L N=U O=X P=M Q=C R=T S=Z T=I U=Q V=F W=A X=S Y=W Z=E
- “She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=L B=N C=T D=Y E=X F=U G=E H=C I=F J=M K=S L=P M=W N=G O=R P=Z Q=K R=Q S=I T=D U=B V=O W=H X=V Y=A Z=J
- “It is his human environment which influences his mind and his feelings, furnishes him his ideals, and sets him on his road and keeps him in it.”— Mark Twain, 1906, What Is Man? and Other EssaysCipher key: A=B B=Z C=I D=H E=M F=Q G=V H=F I=Y J=A K=D L=T M=S N=P O=J P=W Q=G R=O S=C T=X U=R V=U W=E X=N Y=K Z=L