Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = A
JIFBYYQZKIKQZWLYKIHPBKUYMBYZKFFKFFDBDKFH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- O
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Medium Cryptograms Set 8
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: G = T
FKNTKRVMGKVGTFFTOGEXFMIOIKGKOXF,QEGRGEIUZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: R = A
WLNWGNRQOUIGKRTGOWLK'UDSROOLKWRURPGSXZLRS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
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- D
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- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: Q = E
EQSAXQSADWXCQQF;PRVVMPDRVGDZAXPRVVMAIFQQF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
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- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: A = O
KLEWZJO'VLKTMXVIATMOUZHJADJUTXJAXKUIAEEZO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = O
RUVRFRCHCXFFJRFWHUBYRBHHSCKNUOCQXFFYZFFS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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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)
- “In less than a thousand years we shall all be bald.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=E C=J D=B E=Q F=L G=Z H=D I=N J=I K=A L=U M=W N=X O=C P=Y Q=T R=M S=P T=K U=R V=F W=O X=G Y=S Z=H
- “Life is not intellectual or critical, but sturdy.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=Q B=J C=Z D=M E=U F=L G=T H=W I=R J=K K=I L=H M=O N=F O=C P=X Q=B R=S S=G T=E U=D V=N W=V X=A Y=P Z=Y
- “He who waits for another's platter has a cold meal.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=K C=X D=P E=Z F=Q G=O H=Y I=F J=G K=R L=E M=B N=W O=T P=C Q=I R=A S=L T=N U=S V=U W=H X=D Y=J Z=M
- “Be wise with speed; A fool at forty is a fool indeed.”— Edward Young, 1728, Love of Fame, the Universal Passion, Satire II. Line 282 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=X C=P D=T E=B F=D G=R H=Q I=N J=V K=U L=M M=L N=G O=Z P=A Q=E R=F S=W T=C U=K V=O W=H X=S Y=J Z=Y
- “A friend's fault should be known but not abhorred.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=Y C=Q D=W E=R F=M G=C H=K I=H J=N K=A L=F M=L N=X O=D P=V Q=J R=P S=G T=U U=B V=S W=I X=T Y=Z Z=E
- “He who has a good horse in his stable may go on foot.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=J B=I C=A D=K E=P F=O G=U H=S I=X J=D K=B L=Q M=V N=L O=M P=Z Q=Y R=H S=T T=C U=E V=W W=R X=G Y=N Z=F