Puzzle 1
Starter clue: D = N
KDVKFWUDKDOLHHZFGUFUULUZWHFWXDZ,WGUOYXQZKXDDXKXZHPWGUFWQXDZ.
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
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- X
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- Z
Medium Cryptograms Set 99
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: N = E
QNSQACUPNVFDDARNVRVUZND-JVMMCNMCURAMFSCDQDQNQVFOXNCFQCUQVFO.
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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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = E
VBQNTHTNTPITTHQWPTQUTPEJHIUTPJPEVPQFDTVHUBTRJPDXUBQHEOITDK.
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: S = O
GILIEYILMGHMGILZSQLMGRSTKSRBTEGEBEMKEMHKSJLSRHVGSAESYTHDIN.
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: V = E
CYIYUGVYJHGCVKPJRODZSCTYIDFVIVKJF;HRGJQVXMVVOOVROSVHGRIBCTV.
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: U = E
LGXTTUSCMUYUAAZVTSLYCZUHLQCUYGUCZVUSVUQQCMUNXTXYGUZWCMUZTS.
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)
- “In listening mood she seemed to stand, The guardian Naiad of the strand.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1810, The Lady of the Lake, Canto I. Stanza 17 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=P C=B D=N E=Z F=S G=H H=O I=Y J=X K=I L=M M=Q N=W O=G P=F Q=R R=C S=J T=V U=E V=L W=T X=A Y=U Z=D
- “He who is meant to be a basket-carrier is born with the handle in his hand.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=Z C=I D=T E=U F=N G=Q H=J I=X J=C K=Y L=G M=R N=E O=D P=M Q=H R=B S=W T=V U=S V=A W=F X=L Y=P Z=K
- “I have never seen a greater monster or miracle in the world than myself.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. XI. Of Cripples (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=H C=B D=L E=M F=C G=J H=N I=S J=O K=F L=X M=U N=V O=Y P=R Q=A R=W S=Z T=E U=T V=I W=G X=D Y=Q Z=P
- “The highest as the lowest form of criticism is a mode of autobiography.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=B B=C C=Q D=P E=I F=N G=T H=A I=H J=D K=M L=E M=S N=Y O=K P=J Q=W R=F S=O T=R U=X V=U W=Z X=V Y=G Z=L
- “I am a great friend to public amusements; for they keep people from vice.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. III. Chap. VIII. 1772 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=V C=I D=U E=J F=S G=R H=F I=M J=T K=N L=X M=K N=Q O=P P=D Q=H R=O S=L T=C U=G V=E W=Z X=Y Y=A Z=B
- “I called the New World into existence to redress the balance of the Old.”— George Canning, 1826, The King's Message, Dec. 12, 1826 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=Q C=T D=K E=P F=Y G=C H=X I=U J=V K=J L=I M=H N=B O=G P=Z Q=S R=M S=D T=L U=E V=R W=F X=A Y=N Z=O