Puzzle 1
Starter clue: C = T
BCBWUOCCOXVOYZBMLQBCGHOMBMYNNOCBCO,CGYMQBCGCGRWOCGYCYXOQGOXOCGOJQRFZVUO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Medium Cryptograms Set 153
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: C = E
PZIOOCM,JNWO,PMOIMCDHCKUCOYICZURNMONUTFPMGURFCZZIEHERZCPFPM,PMOWPGTRFNHCM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: W = T
LSBVBFWDSZPHDWWDBWRPFPWFWDSFSFBLSQSF;LSBVBFWDSVYLLQLVIUFWDBWEBVAAQDSBVW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: E = I
MPJDTVDETTQFDBWETVHPDJPEOMPDHHGQDJAEWMEWABLBHEJEQTDTKUEBWGLBWQGMEWAOPDG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: H = O
BRYEVZVINHZVIFQVFEJYFUYGIAKMHEHSIHQHEVUIVVSHSPAYIVMPJYEGHFHPNREEHTVMHFV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: B = T
DBDUGYUUDFRMBYILWMLUMPDYSUBSPKYQVDKE,LKENMBBYBLRXGRMLULKBRNLKEJIMMPQSRRN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
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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)
- “It is better dealing with men in appetite, than with those that are where they would be.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=V B=I C=T D=F E=Z F=U G=H H=M I=Q J=Y K=J L=G M=N N=P O=E P=X Q=W R=O S=K T=C U=B V=D W=S X=R Y=A Z=L
- “A sudden, bold, and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man, and lay him open.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=K B=J C=E D=X E=R F=M G=Y H=P I=U J=B K=C L=G M=N N=O O=D P=A Q=Z R=I S=V T=H U=T V=W W=L X=F Y=Q Z=S
- “Dear as the light that visits these sad eyes; Dear as the ruddy drops that warm my heart.”— Thomas Gray, 1757, The Bard, I. 3, Line 12 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=A C=N D=H E=W F=S G=Z H=G I=O J=C K=B L=D M=X N=F O=J P=I Q=Y R=V S=E T=K U=P V=R W=T X=Q Y=U Z=L
- “We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicion and mistrust or with fear.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1945, Fourth Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=H B=S C=Z D=A E=I F=L G=R H=P I=Y J=C K=D L=U M=W N=V O=F P=E Q=O R=K S=X T=N U=M V=G W=T X=J Y=B Z=Q
- “Whatever Government can fairly do to promote free popular education ought to be done.”— Rutherford B. Hayes, 1880, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=L B=W C=S D=X E=T F=N G=I H=O I=R J=C K=Y L=J M=D N=G O=Q P=U Q=M R=H S=P T=B U=F V=E W=Z X=K Y=A Z=V
- “It is possible to have a serious turn of mind, and yet to talk pleasantly and cheerfully.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=Q B=T C=W D=I E=D F=B G=P H=Z I=H J=C K=N L=A M=E N=Y O=J P=R Q=F R=L S=U T=G U=S V=M W=V X=K Y=O Z=X