Puzzle 1
Starter clue: J = E
RJZLJMJPWOOWOPCXZMZOSXOXHLCXYJLZOUJXICNJZMHAJXIVXRJLMQCNXAJRNXMJCLZQIXLVLXIWCCNJJYJKJOCZLQSJUJOUWJAXIYWIJ.
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 220
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: G = A
GEEOMZJZIRIOMZNQVEWXGIIQOJGCZGTOGOAZNGECGIWTLZGC,XGIIQOJGCZGWVQLQSHEQQW,QVGHEGWZQSPVGTT,GIUJQVZOMGIQIZJGIXGI.
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: Y = E
MOYVYNUSJSNVKONEOXYFRJIUMRMOYCNIBVYSJLMSFYJMURCYSEONJLNPNLBSF;KYSFKSDUFRUYNMKOYJKYSXSJLRJNMMRSUUBZYSJRMOYV.
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: Y = E
LSNYHIYY-OPGBYBFGBVRYYIHWEEABPJQSJYB,FLRSWIJSHOYFL,FGBSHJEYYQ,FGBSHYUYIVPJY,PJSGYSHLRYNYJLQIYVYQLJSHESGXEFJLPGX.
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: W = E
EKKPRJREUWOWELMXJJSPJADPBMRMRWBAPRJKWRWEAMH,REUWSJLWXJJSPJAD,EKMRJYXRMRWGOEGSBWZWNJAWMRWGREUWMRWMBOWMJHBXLBM.
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: I = E
IEITPKUWUYILEUAUWULBWXIKSJUWSHZIIHASJTUOIULUWABTRMULBFISNWP,SLOWXSWXIWRRUAJSTWRMLITULWXIULEIAWQILWAQSOIXITI.
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)
- “We are beginning to abandon our tolerance of the abuse of power by those who betray for profit the elementary decencies of life.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937, Second Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=S B=K C=T D=Q E=V F=J G=X H=U I=F J=E K=M L=R M=B N=H O=N P=G Q=Y R=W S=D T=Z U=C V=P W=I X=O Y=L Z=A
- “All the men in the world cannot make a statue walk and speak, cannot make a drop of blood, or a blade of grass, any more than one man can.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=U B=X C=K D=V E=L F=Q G=A H=B I=N J=M K=J L=P M=H N=W O=T P=G Q=O R=I S=F T=S U=Y V=R W=D X=C Y=Z Z=E
- “There is an air which belongs to the figure and talents of each individual; we always lose it when we abandon it to assume another.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=J B=U C=F D=Y E=C F=L G=Q H=Z I=G J=N K=W L=D M=T N=I O=H P=V Q=P R=O S=A T=K U=S V=R W=X X=B Y=E Z=M
- “To be free-minded and cheerfully disposed, at hours of meat, and of sleep, and of exercise, is one of the best precepts of long lasting.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=Y B=D C=W D=J E=L F=A G=N H=F I=R J=S K=Q L=T M=Z N=B O=M P=I Q=P R=H S=O T=K U=X V=C W=U X=G Y=E Z=V
- “All who have meant good work with their whole hearts, have done good work, although they may die before they have the time to sign it.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=R B=I C=X D=K E=A F=C G=Y H=S I=J J=O K=L L=N M=T N=F O=M P=W Q=Z R=H S=D T=P U=V V=Q W=E X=G Y=U Z=B
- “Every citizen visiting the capital feels a pride in its growing beauty, and that he too is part owner in the investments made here.”— Ulysses S. Grant, 1873, Fifth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=S B=G C=K D=X E=V F=B G=Q H=L I=E J=P K=C L=N M=W N=U O=D P=Y Q=M R=O S=A T=R U=I V=J W=T X=H Y=Z Z=F