Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Z = A
ZFFHVZQCDMKZXMUZHFDRBHBQRDXNFZRD;WLRMRMKZXMUZHFDTVMHVMKRZAMQCNFZHDDYDUGMQKRZQR.
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 172
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: H = E
BIHVHUZQCBHFJHRHFPHBIHEMHNRHMQFBIQMHVIQAMHBIHETNN,HRHFBIQAPIBIHDGHEQJHOQVHJCAN.
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: D = N
UVELVQWDOQKWMOWAEDEDKJEHKDMO,UGKQGEUEZVDOKDXLWXWLFKWDEOWMLGKCGVLDEFMLVOHMJPVLO.
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 4
Starter clue: F = A
MKFVIMTRIMKRKECWQHVKRRTWLIMFIYKUCNIFVRFNKEFZFHVKCG,-FHVKRRTWLIMFIUCWKXEFWWCIHJX.
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 5
Starter clue: G = E
DXLDYZJZSFKQQQLKVFJGDWRDZGYFXLDYZJVSHFKQYGZGHHOFIXGZSFKQQQLKVFJGUJKNGFLGGDNHK.
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 6
Starter clue: H = E
LHDQMHVHHBNGYXDHYXRIHYNHZXXDHWHQVPEOLDCZDTRMHYVWHVXZQVEHQBQIXHBXRDGWQVPHYMCZH.
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)
- “All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=K B=O C=G D=E E=F F=L G=Y H=C I=Z J=Q K=S L=U M=I N=P O=X P=J Q=N R=T S=D T=W U=R V=H W=B X=M Y=V Z=A
- “The weak often revenge themselves on those who use them ill, even though they be more powerful.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=U B=T C=F D=Y E=M F=N G=B H=E I=H J=R K=X L=C M=S N=L O=P P=G Q=O R=V S=J T=I U=A V=W W=D X=Q Y=Z Z=K
- “We are conscious of an animal in us, which awakens in proportion as our higher nature slumbers.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=F B=J C=G D=N E=A F=T G=H H=L I=V J=M K=I L=R M=U N=Y O=S P=B Q=C R=X S=Z T=Q U=W V=E W=O X=P Y=D Z=K
- “Health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of, - a blessing that money cannot buy.”— Izaak Walton, 1653, The Complete Angler, Part I. Chap. 21 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=V C=O D=X E=C F=A G=F H=B I=T J=U K=E L=G M=H N=R O=Q P=J Q=D R=S S=Z T=I U=M V=L W=N X=Y Y=W Z=P
- “A branch cut off from the adjacent branch must of necessity be cut off from the whole tree also.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=P B=V C=K D=A E=X F=T G=E H=S I=Y J=H K=O L=R M=G N=L O=I P=Q Q=F R=J S=U T=Z U=W V=M W=D X=B Y=N Z=C
- “We have need further to perfect the means by which Government can be adapted to human service.”— Herbert Hoover, 1929, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=K B=D C=I D=H E=B F=J G=U H=E I=P J=Q K=L L=W M=V N=F O=Y P=S Q=A R=O S=Z T=G U=X V=N W=M X=T Y=R Z=C