Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = N
ARCBDATGSAURWLEWRURCLCBLELWUSALACHLOISWLRICBLASCDRASAVARCBDATHRQOVMLURWLTWSCLIQOCRRQWGRAFCDCQLACF.
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 210
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: X = N
FXPUKYYJXFRJXDOM,GQECQVRJEKFKUHJTFQOPXYZPHHQXLUFKXY,EC'QXDJHXPOYFFHU,PXYFXECJQHCQXLJULHPEJCPHUCECKXYJH.
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: Z = E
DZOPGHZRZXOULJHULJHMZWXLJBLWTZHMUHHMZWZKWTZKCHMLGBKJHLJZJHUTKJZMURZHMZXLNMHHKQZBLQZHMZLXKDJQZGHLJI.
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
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- U
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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: I = E
NIJWCXGTQOCZTBQP-BIRAWITIMDPIJJZCVJ,IMDPIJJZCVJWQPTCPBCPAIT,QVTVIOIPGIRRWINCPTJEIYPQVTIPRWQVRWIHQRRIP.
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
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: K = E
YBDEKNBDXSPGXTYJCEYECPPKL,PDLYBKOEKKYBKNDLADPYBKXLDNSBKHLYE,HSIYBXEJCEYUKDCLTBHEYXEKJKSYDLLKTDJZKSEK.
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: Y = E
QDYKWRVFBGXFBYQYXKFYKXEFVYNYSOAKX,LBVYNYSBYAKORY,KDDSVDSGKFYHO,XVFLGFBKXOKPPYZFKFGVX:JQYDHKGXEGQZVJSQY.
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)
- “Nothing can more promote the permanent welfare of the nation and nothing would be more grateful to our constituents.”— George Washington, 1794, Sixth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=N B=H C=T D=I E=P F=S G=C H=W I=F J=K K=X L=E M=B N=Z O=L P=Y Q=U R=O S=A T=G U=M V=D W=R X=V Y=Q Z=J
- “On a sudden open fly, With impetuous recoil and jarring sound, Th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate Harsh thunder.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book II. Line 879 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=Q C=H D=F E=T F=O G=W H=R I=X J=E K=U L=G M=Y N=V O=L P=A Q=I R=P S=B T=C U=S V=M W=Z X=N Y=D Z=J
- “We must ever maintain the principle that the people of this continent alone have the right to decide their own destiny.”— James K. Polk, 1845, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=J B=C C=F D=W E=Z F=Q G=S H=T I=Y J=N K=O L=I M=H N=G O=M P=U Q=D R=V S=B T=L U=A V=X W=P X=R Y=K Z=E
- “We should avoid far-fetched expressions, expressions hard or forced, and never let the words be grander than the matter.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=C B=F C=O D=P E=B F=J G=L H=M I=E J=S K=Q L=K M=X N=W O=V P=R Q=A R=T S=Y T=D U=Z V=N W=H X=U Y=G Z=I
- “Those who inflict must suffer, for they see the work of their own hearts, and this must be our chastisement or recompense.”— Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1824, Julian and Maddalo, Line 482 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=H C=U D=O E=S F=Z G=L H=A I=D J=M K=E L=R M=V N=W O=Y P=F Q=G R=Q S=N T=C U=B V=J W=X X=I Y=T Z=P
- “Speak both in the senate and to every man, whoever he may be, appropriately, not with any affectation: use plain discourse.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=M B=H C=G D=P E=D F=T G=I H=L I=J J=U K=A L=W M=X N=V O=Y P=F Q=S R=B S=R T=Z U=Q V=O W=K X=N Y=E Z=C