Puzzle 1
Starter clue: M = I
GXFLXUBMJSMAV,SJHXAABEWSMAJHWBMJSMAVJFMVGXFMWHMAVJFGJTXFGJHMBMUA,VWZJIABFDUBBEXGWBEABJMSBXFSWBMJSWHGXWUX.
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 216
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: Z = E
CSCOUGMQZPADOSAOZZXSAVZGFYGWOSNZFZGUZPAJSNZEAMBZPOGSCAM,GMUSARDONGQAAUGPQDKZMSSAANGPU,YNZMYZNGBZJADMUAMZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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- M
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: R = I
BPLHLDLELHFMVRDBPLFJHWZBFJJNRDRJDVMWRAL,DJXJHLBPMDBFJPMRHVJHBFJIHMRDV;BPLXJVBCDRELHVMWYCMWRBURVZRELHVRBU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: U = A
CYEXOYEEMVDKHMUJYSKYZOYEEMVUBWGVUZEKAUBYZGVUZEKAUB;UBWOYYVAUBXUKULVSWLMULUDBKEOYYVAUB,UBWOYMEULUDBKEOYME.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: D = E
GDZGJZYTXVODOJAVJZGTJEDOYZ,AVZGDZGJZUVLHVARDAYDAHDZJEDOYZ;ZGDAGVCHJAJAFTJAMDOJYPZVMLDJEJAVJZGGDADRDLTJPD?
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = T
FKQPALOBPFASFKQUAHQVLDQLFWLTKYFVQEYFQNFASAVQWULJATQVNWNYETYGNYLAIRQPFASFKQKWUKQNFWDJAVFYLPQFAFKQLYFWAL.
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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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)
- “Perfectionism, no less than isolationism or imperialism or power politics, may obstruct the paths to international peace.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1945, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=S B=T C=X D=U E=H F=R G=P H=L I=B J=O K=Q L=F M=I N=J O=Z P=K Q=V R=D S=N T=W U=C V=M W=A X=E Y=G Z=Y
- “It is dangerous to seek to be always the leader of the conversation, and to push a good argument too hard, when we have found one.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=O B=V C=I D=U E=C F=L G=A H=X I=Z J=F K=M L=J M=N N=H O=S P=R Q=G R=P S=T T=Q U=D V=B W=Y X=K Y=W Z=E
- “There never was in the world two opinions alike, no more than two hairs or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. XXXVII. Of the Resemblance of Children to their Fathers (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=T C=U D=N E=V F=W G=J H=R I=G J=O K=F L=E M=A N=P O=C P=H Q=X R=I S=B T=Z U=Y V=S W=L X=M Y=Q Z=D
- “Both potter is jealous of potter and craftsman of craftsman; and poor man has a grudge against poor man, and poet against poet.”— Hesiod, 700 BC, Works and Days, Line 25 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=N C=B D=I E=T F=Q G=C H=J I=Y J=L K=S L=G M=E N=Z O=P P=V Q=W R=X S=U T=K U=A V=R W=D X=H Y=O Z=F
- “He that imposes an oath makes it, Not he that for convenience takes it; Then how can any man be said to break an oath he never made?”— Samuel Butler, 1664, Hudibras, Part II, Canto II. Line 377 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=U C=W D=E E=K F=Y G=H H=C I=Z J=A K=G L=R M=B N=L O=S P=D Q=X R=V S=Q T=M U=F V=O W=J X=P Y=I Z=T
- “The conduct of the Government in what relates to foreign powers is always an object of the highest importance to the nation.”— James Monroe, 1821, Second Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=O B=U C=K D=M E=L F=T G=Y H=V I=B J=P K=H L=N M=X N=S O=D P=C Q=E R=J S=F T=W U=G V=R W=I X=Z Y=A Z=Q