Puzzle 1
Starter clue: P = E
APDBIPOYPZJLNILDLAUJPDKZDQKPOQPVLEPDLYUPPJPODKPBOYPNDZSPNQUAAWPILNNR.
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 143
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 = O
YWYHJIWAUHGWIBYJKUZUJMCICUHRAUOJAKBIOWCOAAGAUOHMYWCIPWEIZYJTWIFATIIK.
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: D = E
DNDITZBLCXLFXUUPUIMGP,BDJOQHJUIPDGPJT,CUZLCLZFDJQ,MHZMTLZFVLIVHWFZGCVDF.
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: B = T
FIVQ,KWBQFBOCFLYKOKBMNMCOKWLBKBCBKMWL,LQMCJXVMWVFXFLMGFBQKWSBMBQFMBQFO.
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: J = R
QVPMIUIMAALJULMJJXENUILJSLIVLMJKNYJYKUVJ,YFZQXUNXU,AVJNYAI,LMJSXOVJUXVI.
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: H = A
IYMALUQVNHMVHMYMNYMCHDYMXHZZAHQHMBAHQANAWVUEHNNUBYHDAVLYDKDQCARYQDCA.
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)
- “Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=L B=U C=J D=T E=M F=X G=P H=Z I=S J=V K=H L=O M=Q N=R O=N P=E Q=W R=Y S=K T=G U=I V=C W=B X=F Y=D Z=A
- “It is not easy to find a man who has learned for three years without coming to be good.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=E B=F C=H D=Q E=C F=B G=Y H=S I=O J=N K=D L=Z M=W N=V O=R P=U Q=J R=L S=X T=G U=A V=P W=T X=K Y=I Z=M
- “Everything is good or bad, helpful or deadly, not in itself, but by its circumstances.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=Q B=H C=N D=E E=K F=S G=A H=U I=R J=L K=W L=I M=B N=V O=P P=D Q=F R=X S=Z T=Y U=O V=C W=M X=G Y=J Z=T
- “Each, in the true spirit of our institutions, should concede something to the other.”— James K. Polk, 1848, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=B B=T C=U D=Q E=Z F=E G=M H=V I=A J=L K=I L=S M=O N=F O=R P=W Q=H R=X S=G T=Y U=J V=C W=N X=D Y=P Z=K
- “We must support our rights or lose our character, and with it, perhaps, our liberties.”— James Monroe, 1817, First Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=P B=Y C=J D=K E=G F=N G=V H=Z I=S J=R K=C L=O M=U N=H O=B P=M Q=W R=F S=L T=Q U=T V=E W=X X=I Y=A Z=D
- “Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=E B=C C=U D=T E=M F=Z G=J H=A I=F J=K K=H L=W M=N N=S O=Y P=Q Q=R R=V S=B T=X U=O V=D W=L X=G Y=I Z=P