Puzzle 1
Starter clue: P = E
UPHEDRPDJFDSSFP,XKQJVKTSDXPCSUPNP;SKPXKDOUDYPXXTGPXSDJTFDSSFPXSUPTN.
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
Medium Cryptograms Set 130
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: I = E
SKFFSIEKAUHQTIFQEIUQAUHBZUBIUZVEKHNXTFBAI;ZBFPTIQFEKAUHTKHIQZXWIKF.
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: S = E
QLSXSHXSNFDSDSKOLFHXSAHPNSAXFDOYNLYKZHPOHUNQFHVVSHXOLHQQLSUHXSKFQ.
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: I = E
GSILIKMMHXIGSKAVMILQKRIKAGSISBZKGHCMIIOKAVBCGILBRBYYSKJSYIXBEHZIE.
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: E = A
XHBJQUEGNDXANZQSLXQUED,EJDEZPNEMUEZQNZEJQUNLXVC,QWADWLWVLUWHXTDNEJN.
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: L = I
AZOEBRLPQJKWWLFP,COLAIZKALAILRR,AZOEBRLPQJKWWLFPVFPGBOEWEOKWFPWALRR.
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)
- “Rejoice in little, shun what is extreme; the ship rides safest in a little stream.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=Y C=X D=I E=O F=L G=F H=J I=V J=N K=H L=B M=Z N=M O=P P=E Q=U R=C S=T T=A U=R V=W W=Q X=S Y=D Z=K
- “Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above it.”— Washington Irving, 1819, The Sketch BookCipher key: A=N B=U C=P D=J E=M F=T G=Z H=S I=E J=W K=I L=H M=C N=F O=Q P=G Q=A R=X S=L T=R U=D V=Y W=V X=O Y=K Z=B
- “There are some men who are false from wishing always to appear what they are not.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=F B=K C=J D=M E=U F=O G=Q H=A I=V J=X K=N L=H M=D N=S O=W P=L Q=T R=Z S=E T=B U=Y V=P W=C X=R Y=I Z=G
- “There is something servile in the habit of seeking after a law which we may obey.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=N B=A C=F D=Z E=Y F=X G=T H=O I=E J=C K=I L=R M=S N=D O=K P=J Q=V R=L S=H T=Q U=P V=G W=U X=M Y=W Z=B
- “I must have liberty Withal, as large a charter as the wind, To blow on whom I please.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act II. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=U C=D D=L E=A F=J G=V H=M I=F J=S K=Q L=W M=C N=E O=K P=G Q=T R=X S=Y T=P U=H V=N W=O X=I Y=Z Z=R
- “The ruling passion, be it what it will, The ruling passion conquers reason still.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Moral Essays, Epistle III. Line 153 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=U C=B D=X E=R F=O G=Q H=M I=W J=P K=A L=I M=V N=Z O=E P=N Q=G R=L S=J T=Y U=K V=C W=S X=D Y=F Z=H