Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = T
QVDBNID,EBEDMIZRNLVUINVLABCVBAZJVINUEBBUNHNBBNIBCVOGVUDNWOVRND;VOLEBFEUUYZONVIBZHNBCZJYCBDZDCZIBUA.
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 208
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: C = E
BYVFKECAPQJRGEQKRVECFYQRCBYPAYRPTCWFTUCVAYQFYCE'RFEVANKJERJC,HEPLYFVRUQJWLGPVZQWGRPWFYCPEPWXVWFGCB?
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: I = T
GOIYWPHXIYWHWGROPIYGOJIPYGOUWHPBHZPDDPNGOJNYTINWTHWITBJYI;SBIGODGZWIYWHWTHWQTOXIYGOJRIPUHTNBRTRGUW.
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
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: G = N
JTVWKGP,TGNSBKCQSQZGOTGE,KXSEZUSGTUSXRTRJSITXETRRSG;KGQJTVWKGPVJTOCGERJSZXYXKZOSOKXSNBSKGETGSBTGEKET!
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: J = E
MFMUXNFMNMXBJXNCJFGXNKJBUHJZJORJJMRIJHHJCPNXBHFONEBUMCMFRIJUMNMBJONXUMEJUHPJJMWFTNMXBJSQRINEIUMCH.
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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- U
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: O = A
NREOZLRUVBYOPOWRGXEOXLOQFBYOPOWRGXEOYOLFUQR,OVXGWRGEUZGOTR,OYXTYRGYUDR,XQLDXGRLPYRYROGPUVOHHYZWOQXPA.
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)
- “Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false knaves; and it will go near to be thought so shortly.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Much Ado about Nothing, Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=T C=H D=S E=I F=W G=F H=B I=R J=U K=C L=D M=P N=E O=N P=J Q=M R=V S=Z T=X U=L V=A W=K X=Q Y=G Z=O
- “What precious drops are those which silently each other's track pursue, Bright as young diamonds in their infant dew?”— John Dryden, 1672, The Conquest of Granada, Part II. Act III. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=W C=E D=J E=R F=T G=D H=B I=V J=U K=P L=G M=Q N=K O=X P=I Q=O R=S S=Z T=L U=Y V=A W=N X=F Y=H Z=M
- “In theory there is nothing to hinder our following what we are taught; but in life there are many things to draw us aside.”— Epictetus, 108, Discourses (recorded by Arrian), Chap. XXVI (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=U C=V D=L E=Q F=P G=I H=R I=T J=G K=J L=C M=K N=W O=N P=O Q=M R=S S=B T=A U=D V=Z W=E X=Y Y=H Z=F
- “How many, once lauded in song, are given over to the forgotten; and how many who sung their praises are clean gone long ago!”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, VII. 6 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=L C=U D=Q E=G F=J G=N H=X I=F J=H K=A L=K M=Z N=C O=S P=Y Q=D R=T S=E T=O U=V V=W W=M X=R Y=P Z=I
- “No nation in the tide of time has ever been blessed with so rich and noble an inheritance as we enjoy in the public lands.”— James Buchanan, 1857, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=G B=H C=D D=Z E=C F=O G=F H=S I=L J=E K=M L=Q M=N N=I O=R P=W Q=U R=B S=P T=Y U=A V=K W=J X=T Y=X Z=V
- “Because of what America is and what America has done, a firmer courage, a higher hope, inspires the heart of all humanity.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1925, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=Y B=W C=K D=P E=C F=D G=R H=L I=X J=Q K=J L=S M=V N=B O=A P=T Q=N R=E S=Z T=G U=O V=F W=M X=I Y=H Z=U