Puzzle 1
Starter clue: F = O
DXDBPFFVVDBAHQXDFG,GFXXFYESQXFFYCAZFMEGOYEGEXXZQMDHBX;KQAECBQFGQAEGGFXZFRVFCXXZEXWHFWFHXDFG.
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 196
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: N = T
UMNPEKPUNQRKPLKJLNUEY;RE,WDXPKRBPVNRULNUEGDBIKUBUNLPU,AZPBNZPEPUEPBRGDQNJUWLNRFPFRJIZNADNZDN.
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
IECATCNCWAUKDMIMJITUUSFIUIECCRRCAIURAUKDLJCOCJCWXP,MJOOUCFJUIWCVYLWCIUUKYAERWUKLJOLNLOYMTF.
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: B = E
QBDFIPBMSOMMNYUBBZ,UMRBGBZ,ZBHBHPBZAKODUTDDUBHAISMZDFKBIUTZNBIDDMPBTZTZBDUMIBRUAYUKBGBZYMHB.
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: U = N
XJIRGYRJDQHRFUBURXTFUPJUWHRDXFUFX,FUGJDDFUPLHBSBURDBNFJYJNXXBJUBXTRHDBNFJYJNX,XTFUIFUPBLPBW.
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: G = E
AIGZEBRGJLGBZGORAIFAIGIFRBEAIOBSVGPAPEYVOPGWLAIORHYGULXOZGR,IORHYOBZOHVGR,FBXIORZEDDEBRGBRG.
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 good discretion, not to make too much of any man at the first; because one cannot hold out that proportion.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=C B=S C=U D=I E=A F=O G=N H=R I=V J=X K=B L=W M=F N=Z O=Y P=G Q=E R=L S=K T=Q U=J V=D W=P X=T Y=M Z=H
- “After meat comes mustard; or, like money to a starving man at sea, when there are no victuals to be bought with it.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1605, Don Quixote, Part I, Book III. Chap. VIII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=N C=J D=I E=R F=B G=V H=Q I=G J=U K=M L=S M=F N=T O=Z P=E Q=C R=O S=P T=X U=A V=Y W=L X=K Y=D Z=H
- “The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=C B=J C=E D=B E=H F=S G=W H=Z I=T J=N K=M L=I M=A N=V O=D P=Y Q=X R=F S=K T=L U=O V=Q W=R X=G Y=U Z=P
- “Let us be of good cheer, however, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which never come.”— James Russell Lowell, 1887, Democracy and Other Addresses, Democracy and Addresses (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=E C=K D=T E=X F=U G=V H=M I=S J=P K=N L=J M=O N=D O=G P=B Q=L R=W S=F T=A U=H V=Z W=Q X=Y Y=C Z=R
- “Take pleasure in one thing and rest in it, in passing from one social act to another social act, thinking of God.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=Z B=O C=Q D=S E=Y F=I G=P H=R I=K J=A K=B L=F M=J N=C O=V P=G Q=U R=E S=M T=H U=N V=W W=D X=T Y=L Z=X
- “The consequence is that he has nothing left for life but his prejudices, his principles, and his common sense.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=T B=N C=Z D=M E=O F=A G=E H=P I=H J=Q K=X L=U M=K N=Y O=I P=F Q=W R=S S=G T=V U=J V=L W=B X=D Y=R Z=C