Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = E
XZLFLHNITAZWZLHGLTHTSLHFXZHFLHCBLXILTSJFLHTSMITXPTJLXZJNBITDPNCLMHJNLXZLWSITIXBPGLIR,IFRIF,XZLKNLBGLN.
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 213
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: E = O
ELFEDCRELCVFNRELJSUJECQKUBQQZKPHPVQSAEWFUCSUCSAVFPYPCWUAMQRVURJQETVKQRUMURPVNETIUCTEFAQJT-WEBQFCIQCV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: I = E
OICIWMRIAGXNWPCHATIKWAINCUAWVRMKHABAWZWXIVIKHABHOIAKMRNMOITHCHMQAIIXUGHCGITIMHIZIAUNPIAWGNCAIBFLXWG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: C = E
KOCNGPTVBGG,FOBZOBYYPBAKQOPSCPRRQIRZCAKOCKUPWCATQJOPEGCK,KOCZOPUPZKCUQJKOCNUBRZCQJACREPUDVCBRWGCJKQIK.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: S = E
HEDMASDBNRZFSVNEHSWSNODMRKATEBKMEVKRMBEKRFBKMSNSDMRKATRMNBEMBDHBDMCSSVVENMMESLMSKAEPNVENSBUKJEHHSNJS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: I = E
OSIUIXVOSJYRRPOPQAEIQAXITYOSSQKHOUYGIVFQJOHYCKIQUTIFIGYAIFJIQFKAYGI:TUYOSIUHVFWIQJI,FYOUVGQAHVFJYRRQFK.
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
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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)
- “The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is because they do not live of, or for, themselves.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=L C=B D=G E=Q F=R G=V H=A I=O J=U K=M L=E M=C N=S O=K P=I Q=Z R=F S=D T=N U=X V=J W=Y X=T Y=P Z=H
- “Our own country could alone have exhibited so grand and striking a spectacle of the capacity of man for self-government.”— James Buchanan, 1857, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=S B=V C=N D=W E=O F=R G=Q H=B I=M J=L K=H L=U M=P N=Y O=J P=I Q=E R=C S=D T=F U=A V=T W=G X=Z Y=K Z=X
- “We neither claim nor desire any rights or privileges or powers that we do not freely concede to every American Republic.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1906, Sixth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=R B=P C=N D=X E=K F=U G=C H=O I=E J=Q K=S L=B M=T N=A O=W P=M Q=F R=H S=J T=D U=Y V=G W=I X=L Y=Z Z=V
- “The playbill, which is said to have announced the tragedy of Hamlet, the character of the Prince of Denmark being left out.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1825, The Talisman, Introduction (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=I C=E D=K E=M F=W G=L H=Q I=U J=F K=T L=J M=X N=P O=H P=A Q=O R=N S=V T=Y U=R V=B W=G X=Z Y=S Z=C
- “Most desirable from every standpoint of national interest and patriotism is the effort to extend our foreign commerce.”— William McKinley, 1897, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=D B=I C=H D=S E=O F=L G=W H=M I=J J=C K=N L=X M=T N=R O=Y P=U Q=Z R=A S=E T=P U=G V=F W=V X=Q Y=K Z=B
- “There with commutual zeal we both had strove in acts of dear benevolence and love: Brothers in peace, not rivals in command.”— Alexander Pope, 1726, The Odyssey of Homer (Pope's translation), Book IV. Line 241 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=Q C=F D=G E=Z F=N G=V H=S I=E J=C K=D L=J M=Y N=K O=T P=U Q=A R=M S=H T=B U=R V=I W=P X=W Y=O Z=X