Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = E
ACKEKLRRBEKMDIJXEKYAKEFLRUJT,ACYIFKMMAJALTKACKNKXLIILIXR,YIUJIRKAR,JSACLIXR.
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 158
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 = E
IDEIXNYPRROYINZDBNPKPCXRECDPOCXEIZX,IDSOPYYISCGDEZRRECTYSPXRGZKEYCCRPJIXP.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: L = E
EPLDKKLTLYFSOLZESHPDZNYSOMVMGDMVEA,SZCLZSHVEAVMRLDGEG,VGDFSOLZRLPVMYEPLLAL.
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 4
Starter clue: O = E
VQWOQVOQGJJVQJYOWOGVQGXOYB,QYXQJOCSOGJVQJYOWOGJUGOB,QYXQJPRZVJVQJYOWOGVRGJB.
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 5
Starter clue: M = E
ZIZTOVGTVOMGVLKPEGMXELMTIIEIMWWLEIXZLBIXVLIEHMTZWMLIFXMLFMXVNMHMBCLIEIMWW.
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 6
Starter clue: G = E
ISGDGLEJXGJP,LJPGGP,IXRWALJMZXXAEXDGYKGDLRGJIE,XDIXIDWBGU,XDIXMWISGDLJMQGWUIS.
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)
- “There is surely no greater wisdom, than well to time the beginnings, and onsets, of things.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=T B=U C=H D=Y E=R F=W G=C H=K I=N J=O K=E L=I M=L N=B O=P P=Z Q=V R=S S=F T=M U=D V=Q W=J X=G Y=A Z=X
- “An harmless flaming meteor shone for hair, And fell adown his shoulders with loose care.”— Abraham Cowley, 1656, Davideis, Book II. Line 95 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=G C=O D=N E=H F=Z G=W H=Y I=A J=C K=T L=Q M=K N=M O=F P=E Q=V R=S S=D T=U U=P V=J W=X X=R Y=L Z=I
- “The alleged power to charm down insanity, or ferocity in beasts, is a power behind the eye.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1860, The Conduct of Life, Behaviour (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=X C=F D=A E=T F=P G=S H=C I=Z J=V K=L L=E M=N N=M O=W P=H Q=J R=B S=O T=G U=K V=I W=U X=Q Y=D Z=R
- “Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.”— Charles Dickens, 1865, Our Mutual FriendCipher key: A=F B=S C=M D=Y E=K F=X G=R H=B I=W J=T K=Q L=Z M=L N=J O=E P=O Q=A R=U S=P T=G U=I V=H W=V X=D Y=N Z=C
- “It is far safer and more honest to tell nothing than to be silent when we have begun to tell.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=Q B=G C=U D=P E=O F=W G=R H=B I=T J=Z K=D L=N M=E N=V O=F P=M Q=Y R=J S=K T=S U=X V=A W=L X=H Y=C Z=I
- “There is no end, indeed, to making books or experiments, or to travel, or to gathering wealth.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=K B=V C=J D=R E=S F=Z G=E H=C I=T J=N K=P L=I M=G N=Q O=Y P=D Q=W R=M S=H T=F U=L V=U W=A X=O Y=X Z=B