Puzzle 1
Starter clue: F = E
JFENSUHEMHHEFVNQHJNXUFPGOSMXUQWSFXUCUWPNNGNGIFXCOQCQMIPFMHWNFVWPNUOYFUCXMYCZCSCDFUMIF.
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 191
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: I = E
HDIUBUIZTPUFTPUNDPNEGBEIGTFFPFXWIPUVPKI,DIWBINUBFVBURTKFIGIYFIGUTVN.HDTFHBXVWMBXDTLI,BZTU?
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: A = E
MPATLORAVYEOAETLQZUJGAXTMJMAEVTJVMJQEXRPMAV,WXMKPAVALTPAKPJYEOANYLMALOXTESXVAUJVOLORFJZ?
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: M = E
PLPTVKPISMPDMRTMFVABD;SHVVOMLMMGADXAJVOMGPZ,PDCAVAJVOPVZOATOIBHKHJVDMAVOMWXPWSGMDBWSMGAM.
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: C = T
YDRBGDCJFBLJCFRSPWGWBCJFQKCPEFQCJDKQKRIBGCKOD,WRUDYVSFPGVDDOJFRSPCFOFRODWSCJDKQCJFBLJCG.
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: N = E
YZHOOHTYCSXVYXNPNWJHUN'TXWDNIHWTVCZIYTXVYXIVCFVVNGHDUSCUDTNCUXVNZOYFNIVNWNVNFVYUFNSXHRN.
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)
- “We hold that the most wonderful and splendid proof of genius is a great poem produced in a civilized age.”— Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1825, On Milton. 1825 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=K C=I D=Z E=H F=E G=F H=T I=G J=W K=B L=Q M=A N=O O=U P=R Q=S R=X S=L T=Y U=D V=M W=P X=N Y=C Z=V
- “When one maintains his proper attitude in life, he does not long after externals. What would you have, O man?”— Epictetus, 108, Discourses (recorded by Arrian), Chap. XXI (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=O C=K D=H E=P F=T G=R H=W I=E J=B K=F L=V M=Y N=S O=J P=I Q=C R=G S=Q T=A U=N V=L W=D X=U Y=X Z=M
- “The singer can easily move us to tears or to laughter, but where is he who can excite in us a pure morning joy?”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=E B=Z C=K D=F E=A F=J G=V H=Q I=D J=O K=W L=I M=T N=X O=N P=H Q=L R=G S=P T=S U=M V=R W=B X=U Y=C Z=Y
- “A fact may be an exception; but the feeling is the law, and it is that which you must neither garble nor belie.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=I B=O C=D D=N E=K F=P G=L H=U I=Y J=S K=M L=F M=E N=Q O=H P=A Q=V R=X S=B T=C U=J V=T W=R X=G Y=Z Z=W
- “Men use thought only as authority for their injustice, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.”— Voltaire, 1763, Dialogue XIV. Le Chapon et la Poularde (1763) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=U C=T D=E E=F F=O G=S H=X I=J J=H K=I L=G M=Z N=K O=C P=Y Q=R R=N S=L T=B U=D V=P W=A X=V Y=M Z=Q
- “Apollo said that every one's true worship was that which he found in use in the place where he chanced to be.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. XII. Apology for Raimond Sebond (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=Q C=I D=U E=Z F=C G=F H=O I=W J=Y K=M L=J M=K N=E O=L P=V Q=G R=B S=D T=S U=N V=H W=R X=T Y=A Z=P