Puzzle 1
Starter clue: X = E
MFXJICMFJUXZXYFDQDUODYIJ,DUQFDZXCUZDYCDSAOJXDAXQMFXCYAXMMXYJLCMFMFXCYMFTISJ.
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 163
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: R = E
GDZLRETIVREXYCXZZLRCZLRQRZZRWICPORW,EXYTIEPIEZLREIWRCXZZLRTRCEXYZXXVZLRTDXW.
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
- V
- W
- X
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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: C = E
LVZZVBQJBXJAVEVSHKZFECKSHECJYKZDSMCCKESMHQJCCQ,NBSMYMCQYCYKDCKQWYMCQYCJZCCA.
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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- R
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- U
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: U = H
OGPPII,XULOUTQAIRMUIHGKLMLOLQJXLRI,QJCRIIMUYGBZUQKKMULJZRXLMUULRUQKP-RUBMISIR.
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
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: P = E
APRWSRRVQWKU,YPBXHUPRVPCXLPBSDDSW,PWTSCISLRVXRRVPAPUUUVXLPSISHLBSWUQOPLXRQSW.
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
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = N
HTAHJRA,LHJDFS,XFVLDRFVCPFVPLHTACPFVHTXHNXFACZJXNAAURXEEQSJAXHHTPFSLXFVLCXEE.
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)
- “The Smiths never had any arms, and have invariably sealed their letters with their thumbs.”— Sydney Smith, 1855, Lady Holland's Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith, Vol. I. p. 244 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=Z C=I D=A E=C F=H G=O H=X I=M J=S K=J L=W M=T N=F O=Y P=G Q=D R=P S=B T=U U=N V=Q W=K X=E Y=R Z=V
- “If they make you not then the better answer, you may say they are not the men you took them for.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Much Ado about Nothing, Act III. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=L C=N D=F E=Y F=D G=I H=C I=A J=V K=Z L=H M=X N=G O=W P=S Q=B R=E S=Q T=M U=P V=K W=R X=O Y=U Z=T
- “Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book IV. Line 677 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=O C=E D=K E=R F=C G=Y H=U I=J J=S K=A L=M M=H N=B O=Q P=G Q=N R=Z S=T T=X U=V V=I W=D X=F Y=W Z=L
- “Coffee, which makes the politician wise, And see through all things with his half-shut eyes.”— Alexander Pope, 1714, The Rape of the Lock, Canto III. Line 117 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=U C=D D=X E=B F=V G=O H=P I=E J=N K=L L=I M=T N=J O=C P=F Q=A R=S S=Y T=M U=H V=Q W=Z X=W Y=R Z=G
- “Let not things, because they are common, enjoy for that the less share of our consideration.”— Pliny the Elder, 77, Natural History (Naturalis Historia), Book XIX. Sect. 59 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=C C=Y D=M E=K F=Q G=X H=U I=F J=P K=G L=R M=V N=Z O=D P=E Q=I R=T S=O T=J U=S V=H W=N X=A Y=B Z=W
- “The true, strong, and sound mind is the mind that can embrace equally great things and small.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VII. Chap. VI. 1778 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=X C=M D=O E=L F=N G=W H=T I=P J=R K=V L=S M=F N=C O=J P=I Q=Y R=U S=G T=H U=Q V=D W=K X=A Y=Z Z=B