Puzzle 1
Starter clue: X = O
KWKGVZSBHXXQCSOMUCJXXT-DUHKJUOMSQUBTXESEEKNOUXB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Medium Cryptograms Set 38
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: Y = T
YJUHOLYNUVTZNGZOTZHOLYNU,YJIQMJVYKUZHIEMEUYYNUT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- E
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- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: B = E
VBNYBNUINOBEE-XWREGFTWLBYNUUTGXBXTWAFGGTTIBNMEC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: A = E
BYAJAGWKJAVUFHWOOWALUGZC;OWALUGZCLKVYUOOUVAAXSA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: U = E
JDUHBJJHURFFHUNOJDPJLBVUZUCDPAUZPGUVPMNUPJVDFL.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: I = E
UPJIEYJJIKAJIISLZIANOOVKLVUUPJIEYJJIKAPJVLZIKA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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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)
- “Every man looks at his wood-pile with a kind of affection.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Q B=N C=S D=P E=F F=J G=R H=L I=B J=W K=E L=U M=H N=C O=T P=X Q=K R=Z S=A T=D U=I V=Y W=V X=O Y=G Z=M
- “The myrtle is always a myrtle, though it be among nettles.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=V C=J D=F E=N F=K G=W H=M I=O J=H K=B L=R M=G N=L O=Y P=Z Q=U R=Q S=D T=S U=E V=I W=P X=C Y=T Z=A
- “Peace and a well-built house cannot be bought too dearly.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=E C=Y D=J E=L F=H G=T H=K I=D J=Z K=M L=S M=R N=A O=W P=Q Q=X R=I S=V T=O U=N V=P W=U X=B Y=C Z=F
- “I never have sought the world; the world was not to seek me.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VIII. Chap. V. 1783 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=I C=D D=Z E=Y F=U G=R H=G I=B J=V K=A L=W M=F N=Q O=T P=C Q=P R=X S=M T=J U=O V=S W=H X=K Y=N Z=L
- “The little foolery that wise men have makes a great show.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=I C=N D=H E=C F=O G=K H=L I=Z J=T K=Q L=W M=G N=R O=Y P=A Q=B R=F S=D T=U U=E V=S W=P X=J Y=X Z=M
- “Fine manners need the support of fine manners in others.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1860, The Conduct of Life, Behaviour (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=Q C=Z D=C E=M F=J G=B H=L I=E J=N K=R L=T M=X N=U O=P P=I Q=V R=G S=D T=W U=F V=O W=Y X=K Y=A Z=H