Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = E
KHQZBFKLQQKHEHYTLQOFQZYHQAQFPHDHYAIOIFU;BDHJHQQHYZOGHYBQFOGBDHYAIOFCCFLYBQDFOIH.
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
Michel de Montaigne Cryptograms Set 4
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: A = T
AFSDRIICSXJEAJBFRXAJERPGX(JBYFRWFAFSDJXAOPEAPES)XOJRCPCC;AFSQYRCCWFSYJZEDSPABJEZX.
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: P = A
HWLOPSGBDGQ,JKGWKNDXQPWHTKDFY,RDGPWNDXQPWHYPBO;PJYHYPBOPFHGGFOGQONKBOPWHMBKTKFYOB.
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: X = E
BCQZXXZXPRIZXGAIPXKIVXSJVXRU,LCXACXPVBAABEFIPRJBEF,LBACSJCXXRVQVCBFCIPCBFCXPACQESJCXQG.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Y = E
NTQEEQDNSFGMNGYJYARQPY'DGAHYBQADMSTBNDGMNGBMSVMMYOQHPFSPHDYSPGMYTENVYBMYAYMYVMNPVYFGQUY.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: E = O
TJTVBEJZTJWEMJNEEKSRCVEBVCTK,JWCJWRZWEWCVBEJCNEEKIRIESUVWEMHKBRARSJCYRMOEBWTIJWRJSCKREQHUTBN.
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)
- “Let us a little permit Nature to take her own way; she better understands her own affairs than we.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. XIII. Of Experience (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=S C=F D=H E=P F=A G=D H=E I=W J=B K=L L=I M=Z N=V O=N P=K Q=T R=G S=X T=M U=Y V=C W=Q X=J Y=R Z=U
- “The middle sort of historians (of which the most part are) spoil all; they will chew our meat for us.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. X. Of Books (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=F C=L D=M E=R F=H G=N H=V I=D J=O K=G L=X M=Z N=K O=P P=A Q=Y R=I S=E T=Q U=B V=J W=C X=S Y=W Z=U
- “I speak truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare; and I dare a little the more as I grow older.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap II. Of Repentance (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=R C=V D=U E=Y F=L G=T H=I I=F J=N K=O L=P M=G N=M O=E P=A Q=H R=B S=K T=W U=Z V=X W=S X=C Y=D Z=Q
- “I have ever loved to repose myself, whether sitting or lying, with my heels as high or higher than my head.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. XIII. Of Experience (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=I C=H D=B E=N F=G G=D H=K I=O J=Y K=P L=W M=J N=U O=C P=R Q=A R=L S=M T=X U=F V=S W=Q X=E Y=Z Z=V
- “Apollo said that every one's true worship was that which he found in use in the place where he chanced to be.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. XII. Apology for Raimond Sebond (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=W C=Z D=S E=L F=D G=T H=U I=M J=V K=X L=J M=H N=A O=F P=N Q=O R=Y S=I T=P U=B V=C W=G X=K Y=E Z=Q
- “It is not without good reason said, that he who has not a good memory should never take upon him the trade of lying.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book I, Chap. IX. Of Liars (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=N C=A D=J E=O F=Z G=B H=L I=M J=T K=D L=X M=U N=G O=P P=C Q=F R=E S=R T=I U=Y V=S W=H X=Q Y=K Z=W