Puzzle 1
Starter clue: I = E
MLAXUXHHLNHMIEIOJXFINHNGXEHLNPZWEXITINHNKQPIEND?XHXUGIFNQUIMINEIPJHHLIYIEUJPXPTJDTIZ.
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 187
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: J = S
ZPSZCSATPJSOPJAKSZYJJSTPXDSZPXJLYTXPTGPJCXMJZCTBPXJLYTJVKOO.LYTCXSCDLXKJSKJLYTZPOBPT.
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: L = T
CMLTJAFNMIFGLALAFLEGBALKFSMJKGBAL;FHUGHLAFLIFGLACMLTJUFEMLZUZZTEUTLVFJXMTHUMEJLFHUGL.
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: Y = E
XYUFCCTRJYSTPYTNJJYMHYURWPYMYURWTCMLJTSYFUDTRDYJCTJINWAVFCWSHFMMFIAYXFAAIYRXYYCRDYS.
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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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = E
EAGIQHHQRCGNPVOGCVKHBMJKURGKK;IAVOUEB,HGOIB,PQOMGVOVRIG,VRZMGRGWQNGRIG,CGOG,VNN,HBMJKURGKK.
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: Z = E
YVLZFQYLXZBUJIJLBYVAIZDLZNZFLBBLIJQZYFTZVYIZLXZZNZFLB,DFQJFLY-QDODCIZDQOKDCEBLY-PYIIYK.
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)
- “Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=Y B=K C=M D=L E=R F=C G=B H=T I=E J=O K=F L=H M=W N=A O=J P=N Q=U R=Z S=X T=V U=S V=Q W=G X=I Y=P Z=D
- “He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper.”— Edmund Burke, 1790, Reflections on the Revolution in France, Vol. III. p. 453 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=P C=A D=G E=Y F=X G=V H=C I=J J=S K=I L=O M=D N=F O=L P=E Q=B R=M S=T T=R U=Z V=K W=Q X=N Y=U Z=H
- “Let us have faith that right makes might; and in that faith let us dare to do our duty as we understand it.”— Abraham Lincoln, 1859, Address, New York City, Feb. 21, 1859 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=G C=L D=Q E=R F=A G=I H=N I=F J=S K=M L=T M=E N=V O=P P=C Q=B R=Z S=K T=U U=D V=Y W=J X=W Y=X Z=O
- “We can not remove our respective sections from each other nor build an impassable wall between them.”— Abraham Lincoln, 1861, First Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=L B=Z C=N D=H E=J F=A G=Q H=P I=B J=R K=Y L=F M=S N=U O=G P=V Q=X R=T S=M T=O U=C V=D W=I X=W Y=E Z=K
- “The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business.”— Charles Dickens, 1843, A Christmas CarolCipher key: A=H B=Y C=W D=P E=T F=Q G=E H=M I=C J=U K=S L=J M=B N=L O=R P=F Q=O R=N S=X T=K U=I V=A W=V X=G Y=Z Z=D
- “Often do the spirits of great events stride on before the events, And in to-day already walks to-morrow.”— Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1800, The Death of Wallenstein (translation), Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=S C=L D=A E=K F=N G=U H=C I=R J=I K=W L=T M=J N=V O=Y P=M Q=D R=X S=Z T=B U=P V=F W=Q X=H Y=O Z=E