Puzzle 1
Starter clue: E = A
NOFEJSSNDSNADHGFSLZXOELADOIHNNQEGGJSVEGEZO.
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 15
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: X = E
OFXXMXCWXGEXYXOFXACXGYXC;OFXXUDCBOFXDJXBJGX.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: A = O
MRLPPXKOUDDSXXPMAANMAKPCADXSCAILEDSLRRASUP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: W = N
BU'VROIXVXWUUAOAALAWUDIKXBW,PDIWAWIVUXWNVNKC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: J = E
WYHJXHYZNSCQXQHAJCLKQCLKJXQHAJCJHNYZNLKJHJ.
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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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: I = A
IFIODGCHTVITYIKDGINWIOCBBHLIRSCOCEDCFWASOV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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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)
- “Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass for a sage.”— Publilius Syrus, 42 BC, Sententiae (Maxims), 914 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=K C=J D=H E=A F=T G=S H=I I=W J=F K=Q L=N M=Z N=L O=E P=B Q=P R=M S=O T=C U=V V=R W=Y X=U Y=X Z=G
- “The eyes believe themselves; the ears other people.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=O C=S D=R E=I F=H G=L H=F I=G J=P K=C L=K M=Y N=Z O=T P=U Q=W R=Q S=D T=X U=A V=J W=B X=E Y=V Z=N
- “Flattery is sweet food for those who can swallow it.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=U C=H D=S E=N F=M G=P H=X I=C J=Z K=R L=A M=F N=D O=Y P=T Q=G R=L S=W T=V U=I V=Q W=K X=E Y=B Z=J
- “It's pleasant to look on the rain, when one stands dry.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=I C=Y D=H E=Q F=U G=M H=J I=E J=F K=R L=K M=Z N=D O=L P=W Q=V R=P S=G T=B U=T V=S W=N X=A Y=C Z=X
- “More grows in a garden than the gardener sows there.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=U C=N D=K E=P F=Z G=Y H=R I=L J=E K=H L=T M=J N=S O=Q P=C Q=A R=B S=I T=X U=V V=F W=M X=G Y=O Z=W
- “A man should always have an occupation of some kind.”— Oscar Wilde, 1895, The Importance of Being EarnestCipher key: A=K B=C C=O D=S E=F F=M G=H H=U I=A J=R K=Y L=P M=Q N=V O=N P=G Q=J R=T S=I T=L U=B V=D W=E X=Z Y=W Z=X