Puzzle 1
Starter clue: F = O
PIPGXHUUIFCQAHGFYHXQIHOPKNFJOKHPLCEFOCFFT,IFLPAHEJFNQKBNIFQKTMUFQIICHHQOIC.
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 160
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
RJGXPDPTKXULPBPSXU,XJPQPTKXUZUXPQKUSPTXGKVFZXEAPNTPBPTTPLXEXJPUNEKFUUZUXPQ.
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: C = E
SCVYCJALVYHBCIDNHKMXCKAHDVPPDIQKMNBQCYIVWCWHUDDEMLSCQYDPCCESMHBIDECYVHMDW.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: C = E
PRCLCNITCCTBWSPYGDPCWDCDHTHDCHNZZBNCYBXLC,HDCHTZBGBRZNPLC,HRTHDHRTZBCKCGAZC.
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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- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Y = I
COYEYECOGPGSVQIYDUXGIRVIBSMSUYD:COYEMINYHGEEQSGUCYIDGQECUEVYEPGSVQBDDYDXYD.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: D = E
LGLAILYADDY,XHIDWDZPDAMXHKPXARFGDNXAYFHDTZDARD,MFWDLRRLUXABLBLXAXARFGDFMIDJ.
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)
- “It is well to have some water in your neighborhood, to give buoyancy to and float the earth.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=V B=C C=H D=J E=B F=O G=S H=E I=T J=U K=N L=G M=F N=Y O=R P=I Q=A R=Q S=X T=D U=L V=Z W=P X=W Y=M Z=K
- “Whatever its defects, the merit system is certainly to be preferred to the spoils system.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1924, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=B B=F C=X D=V E=O F=L G=A H=K I=U J=H K=I L=D M=Q N=P O=G P=E Q=M R=W S=C T=R U=S V=N W=Z X=T Y=J Z=Y
- “We are by far the most likely to accomplish permanent good if we proceed with moderation.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1925, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=Y B=H C=E D=O E=D F=J G=X H=T I=M J=B K=L L=F M=I N=S O=U P=C Q=P R=Z S=W T=V U=G V=A W=N X=K Y=R Z=Q
- “In every deed of mischief he had a heart to resolve, a head to contrive, and a hand to execute.”— Edward Gibbon, 1776, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, of the Roman Empire (1776). Chap. XLVIII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=O C=E D=H E=W F=K G=C H=A I=Y J=Q K=X L=V M=G N=R O=P P=I Q=Z R=N S=M T=D U=B V=J W=F X=L Y=S Z=T
- “This is the very coinage of your brain: This bodiless creation ecstasy is very cunning in.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=U C=T D=N E=S F=Z G=E H=L I=O J=M K=W L=J M=B N=D O=H P=V Q=C R=F S=R T=X U=A V=Y W=K X=G Y=I Z=P
- “A man had need, if he be plentiful in some kind of expense, to be as saving again in some other.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=N B=G C=Q D=E E=W F=O G=M H=F I=H J=R K=U L=A M=T N=K O=Y P=L Q=Z R=S S=C T=X U=V V=J W=B X=I Y=D Z=P