Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = E
FPGLJXYNPWBBQ,NCBMBPUBJNLGGPNYWB,XYNCBLJPNCLGULGAWBBQ.
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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- T
- U
- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Medium Cryptograms Set 65
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: F = T
XDWRYIFFIKDFVPRFDCERELVWDYCNXIGWRFVDEFRXWRINYLEGWHB.
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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- O
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Q = O
VAQXGESTAQLWQVEHRESCZGQGESRQPSQVEHRVQQG,ESHRCPPXHAGE.
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 4
Starter clue: L = N
ETJGYJLINVPWVLSVWCJLLAGUVLBCPQCGUJLJWVLSFCPPAYSCYCS.
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: Q = E
XQZFQVOBKLVEQHBXPHWVOIBVJQVHBPUSAZQHQURQJOIIMJIPSXB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: B = I
JRFTFBGOTFKJKYBHBJEBUZUXSBUORXSJXNXUNFKHXUF'GKYBHBJE.
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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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)
- “Man is but a reed, the weakest in nature, but he is a thinking reed.”— Blaise Pascal, 1670, Pensees (Thoughts), Chap. II. 10 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=E C=H D=Z E=L F=M G=N H=Q I=P J=S K=O L=I M=W N=T O=F P=A Q=D R=X S=V T=C U=K V=Y W=R X=B Y=U Z=J
- “He is not to be trusted as a friend who mistreats his own family.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=V B=Y C=D D=E E=A F=T G=M H=L I=O J=P K=B L=F M=G N=W O=K P=U Q=Z R=S S=X T=C U=Q V=R W=I X=H Y=N Z=J
- “From the crown of his head to the sole of his foot, he is all mirth.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Much Ado about Nothing, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=J C=A D=B E=H F=Z G=T H=I I=Q J=Y K=P L=W M=X N=K O=U P=L Q=O R=S S=E T=C U=G V=F W=N X=M Y=V Z=D
- “By a tranquil mind I mean nothing else than a mind well ordered.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IV. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=G C=E D=Z E=B F=W G=T H=C I=Q J=A K=V L=N M=J N=U O=K P=L Q=S R=P S=D T=Y U=H V=I W=M X=F Y=R Z=X
- “Her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light.”— William Shakespeare, 1595, Romeo and Juliet, Act V. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=T C=Z D=W E=K F=B G=Q H=S I=L J=F K=Y L=M M=O N=J O=U P=I Q=E R=C S=G T=D U=N V=A W=V X=H Y=X Z=R
- “There is great ability in knowing how to conceal one's ability.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1665, Maximes, 245 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=I C=X D=U E=Y F=E G=S H=L I=P J=T K=A L=V M=Q N=C O=G P=J Q=F R=H S=W T=R U=N V=D W=Z X=O Y=B Z=K