Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = E
WYOLHRXXNANJUOCXUJUPNUVHUHFCXJUPJYXVNUCXP,XVHGHNGQHJUHXVHNAQPWNIHUHCBAWUHRNBACDHFOPNYURNAWXCXYXCNA.
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 209
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: F = O
XZRHRNQAFWEAGFXZEUHFAP,YFHXZRUHFAP'QQEVR;JBXXZRHRJMXFSBHTZEQRZNWQRCYSHFYNX,FHSCREQBHR,FHZFAFH,FHXZRCNVR.
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: B = T
JPNSPJQWBBQUQSLPBBXNBBXPMDWKQQCMQWQDSRDKBVANBPIUVPKIMNWIQWBXPZSNVSVPMNWIUQSPMBMJVBXQDBIVMBVWRBVQW.
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: L = E
KGALYLGYZLKRXZZGRBWLIDQJLHKLZQCLXYQZZ;BWLFBHXJLZGDBWHGISWBWLRGHZE,ZQCLKAQZQDSQAXSLKYIKWLEMHGATLWQDE.
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: K = E
CKENWTJPOKHPSJIKFLTEKWTOBOSKAPECNKAVNKSOBHTJVEHOKRWOACSVNVNKX,HAPVNKIHOKJKEEVNHAVNKSOMWWPYTHJSVSKE.
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: X = E
LXMCKLHQPHWXPNXNKFXOJIKFQKCXOHRPCSJPVISXPGVCB,JIKFFKSXIPHVKC,PCSPBXCXIKZOIXBPISJKIHQXIVBQHOKJKHQXIO.
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)
- “Subject to no arbitrary or hereditary authority, the people are the only sovereigns recognized by our Constitution.”— James K. Polk, 1847, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=N B=G C=I D=Z E=K F=D G=P H=E I=V J=A K=W L=J M=F N=O O=B P=Y Q=L R=C S=M T=Q U=R V=H W=S X=T Y=U Z=X
- “There is no man doth a wrong, for the wrong's sake; but thereby to purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or honor, or the like.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=N B=U C=L D=J E=A F=O G=D H=R I=X J=B K=Q L=V M=Y N=I O=Z P=G Q=S R=E S=P T=C U=W V=K W=M X=T Y=F Z=H
- “We are wont to forget that the sun looks on our cultivated fields and on the prairies and forests without distinction.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=V B=T C=K D=U E=J F=Y G=X H=Z I=D J=W K=L L=G M=S N=A O=M P=E Q=O R=C S=R T=B U=F V=I W=N X=H Y=Q Z=P
- “Some people swallow the universe like a pill; they travel on through the world, like smiling images pushed from behind.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=M B=T C=K D=N E=D F=Y G=O H=R I=U J=V K=S L=E M=F N=Z O=Q P=X Q=I R=W S=G T=B U=J V=C W=H X=A Y=P Z=L
- “We should readily excuse our friends when their faults are born with them, and they are less than their good qualities.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=N B=F C=W D=Z E=S F=X G=P H=A I=Y J=L K=E L=C M=G N=H O=R P=D Q=J R=B S=I T=U U=K V=T W=O X=M Y=Q Z=V
- “We know that peace comes from honesty and fair dealing, from moderation, and a generous regard for the rights of others.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1927, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=B B=G C=N D=Z E=V F=M G=L H=T I=R J=F K=O L=W M=K N=C O=S P=A Q=H R=Y S=D T=J U=Q V=I W=P X=E Y=X Z=U