Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = S
ZPTWGQCTAZFZEYDEDZEFZPEAVIEDDZPWA,ZAMAQGQAATUTEKIQAZATUTEAEZPWA.
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
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- T
- U
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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Medium Cryptograms Set 119
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: P = A
QZIPGUKBAPNVWPUG,QZIPTKQWUPOQZIW,PNVDNYZUNWIZIVWUPBLPUIAWVKUUDWG.
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 3
Starter clue: W = E
WAJWKHSZZLEGIWOWWERGPWXWXUWPGYPEYRLRGRVWARPSOFWPIHRVHOGYPFSRWA.
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: W = E
KGWSVKUDGIHYFCWPZIFWYVQWBWAUAWDXWSKNIAPYYKGWSVKVWDINKGWSIHQKAU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Q = E
ZKHEJNTMVLQTBQQBXHWQUTHXXIHKYALZXYQIVLMYVLQUZTQHYMYHVLQT'BLQMTVL.
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 6
Starter clue: J = E
QUWJJLANZSRFJMWURULCRFJM'WDCN,ULGFURJWRFURJKXJYYJLXJSRXULLCRMJUXF.
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
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- W
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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)
- “An idler is a watch that wants both hands, As useless if it goes as if it stands.”— William Cowper, 1782, Poems (1782), Retirement. Line 681 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=M C=R D=H E=T F=W G=L H=J I=O J=K K=G L=Z M=U N=Q O=X P=N Q=E R=V S=P T=I U=F V=B W=D X=Y Y=C Z=A
- “Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note, As his corse to the rampart we hurried.”— Charles Wolfe, 1817, The Burial of Sir John Moore after Corunna (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=M C=Z D=I E=J F=X G=D H=Y I=T J=G K=U L=P M=K N=S O=L P=A Q=N R=Q S=V T=F U=R V=H W=E X=B Y=C Z=O
- “Especially do we need to remember our duty to the stranger within our gates.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1906, Sixth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=S B=V C=F D=K E=D F=G G=O H=I I=W J=P K=C L=Y M=Z N=Q O=N P=R Q=X R=T S=A T=J U=B V=H W=E X=M Y=U Z=L
- “The city should be a model in every respect for all the cities of the country.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1902, Second Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=R B=V C=B D=S E=K F=D G=H H=U I=O J=Z K=T L=J M=X N=F O=Q P=A Q=N R=G S=C T=W U=Y V=I W=E X=P Y=L Z=M
- “I would rather see smoke from my own chimney than the fire on another's hearth.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=C B=S C=Z D=J E=U F=P G=V H=O I=Y J=L K=W L=H M=A N=D O=Q P=B Q=E R=G S=X T=R U=F V=T W=K X=M Y=N Z=I
- “Base Envy withers at another's joy, And hates that excellence it cannot reach.”— James Thomson, 1730, The Seasons, Spring. Line 283 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=U C=O D=J E=Q F=H G=D H=K I=M J=E K=X L=N M=R N=Y O=P P=G Q=B R=T S=I T=Z U=A V=F W=S X=C Y=L Z=W