Puzzle 1
Starter clue: W = T
ZKG'WPEWAWESSMKQFGKBBVAWVAUEWECPUAIZKUICWKGA.
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 21
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: K = E
MBKHAJKWMEVMARJAWMBKYKMMKZHRZEXAKVKRHXCZXIK.
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: W = E
GEEEOBWMGBJMWUMOBWDBXWSXGMGSBWMCZBXWUODWNGQ.
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: G = T
LGGBMTKBSUCXGLFTGUIVLCXTDYTSSTCYTGUFBGJVLGP.
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: G = T
FTMGWMGVWMGKQGLTJPNTGQXOMWNWVWMGTYLOUUQMWXX.
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: O = E
BJORNCCOGOYROBRTCBJOKHHOCROOHIKYOTDLJEYWORG.
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)
- “Don't bite till you know whether it is bread or a stone.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=W C=S D=Z E=I F=K G=N H=P I=A J=F K=O L=M M=Y N=X O=Q P=B Q=U R=V S=L T=C U=R V=H W=T X=G Y=J Z=D
- “The finest action is the better for a piece of purple.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=I B=H C=U D=V E=A F=G G=Z H=F I=L J=N K=E L=W M=T N=M O=Y P=Q Q=X R=O S=D T=J U=K V=C W=S X=P Y=B Z=R
- “All literature writes the character of the wise man.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=G B=T C=O D=S E=L F=X G=A H=P I=Q J=U K=Z L=V M=R N=M O=I P=K Q=N R=J S=C T=B U=W V=Y W=E X=H Y=D Z=F
- “It takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity.”— Publilius Syrus, 42 BC, Sententiae (Maxims), 780 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=A C=N D=X E=Q F=M G=T H=J I=B J=U K=S L=I M=K N=P O=W P=Y Q=V R=H S=L T=E U=O V=R W=F X=G Y=C Z=D
- “Contentment with our lot is an element of happiness.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=G B=K C=D D=Y E=B F=C G=T H=Q I=V J=U K=W L=H M=N N=L O=A P=R Q=I R=Z S=J T=O U=P V=M W=E X=S Y=F Z=X
- “The sun never sets on the immense empire of Charles V.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1807, Life of Napoleon. (February, 1807) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=T C=N D=F E=A F=B G=V H=M I=P J=H K=I L=C M=Q N=U O=E P=K Q=D R=S S=Z T=O U=X V=W W=L X=Y Y=R Z=J