Puzzle 1
Starter clue: F = A
FOOZJYMVKGVYMBCBXPYKGLR,YKFYKBVFPLMYHBFJGXDFXGJ,FOFXDBY-ALGRKY,HZYFJGLBQP,KFXWP,FLWCGRMXMZJPMZLRVFL.
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 5
5 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 = E
TBEXYBYJYQVKDUEMYEVQAYIEDQSWCKKYMSKQFYJA,EVMBEXYOJQCIBNVQNBTVIQSUDQFVOCNNBYNBJYEMNBENNTYANBYUNQIYNBYJ.
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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- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: L = I
KTMPMYMUMPJSFLYKTMJDPBHKJDDVLYLDYFSBLIM,YDWDPMKTSYKJDTSLPFDPKJDXPSLYF;KTMWDFKAYLUMPFSBNASBLKELFHLUMPFLKE.
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
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: L = O
OKGNBXRWZXLNLQOYOLYRWKRORPLBJIDZDZRRZXNLXBCRLWKUZ[YLJKPC]KRKJJRWKYRLWKUZRWZGOYCLQXLIOTOLBCYBGDZXCKCPZWKUZ.
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 5
Starter clue: P = T
XHREARQAEKLLXEHPIKPRVEDXYNRHXPYAWL,KTNDXYAYPORTYVWPKPXRTY,LREPIAHRYPUKEPORHHXPPIAHYAWQAYPRPIAORTNVOPRLOIKTOA.
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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- 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 (5 solutions)
- “Accustom him to everything, that he may not be a Sir Paris, a carpet-knight, but a sinewy, hardy, and vigorous young man.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book I, Chap. XXV. Of the Education of Children (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=E C=V D=P E=X F=A G=I H=B I=Q J=S K=H L=N M=O N=L O=C P=Y Q=W R=G S=Z T=J U=F V=M W=D X=R Y=T Z=U
- “I have here only made a nosegay of culled flowers, and have brought nothing of my own but the thread that ties them together.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. XII. Of Physiognomy (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=H C=U D=Y E=A F=W G=P H=Z I=G J=R K=L L=Q M=D N=T O=B P=K Q=O R=J S=F T=I U=M V=N W=C X=V Y=E Z=X
- “There never was in the world two opinions alike, no more than two hairs or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book II, Chap. XXXVII. Of the Resemblance of Children to their Fathers (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=L C=B D=O E=Y F=S G=X H=D I=K J=W K=T L=I M=E N=Q O=Z P=R Q=F R=J S=A T=H U=V V=P W=M X=G Y=N Z=C
- “I am further of opinion that it would be better for us to have [no laws] at all than to have them in so prodigious numbers as we have.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. XIII. Of Experience (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=U C=S D=B E=Y F=C G=M H=Q I=D J=L K=A L=O M=J N=F O=I P=W Q=P R=T S=X T=G U=V V=K W=H X=R Y=N Z=E
- “I moreover affirm that our wisdom itself, and wisest consultations, for the most part commit themselves to the conduct of chance.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. VIII. Of the Art of Conversation (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=Z C=K D=W E=R F=X G=Q H=M I=H J=Y K=A L=F M=G N=D O=C P=T Q=V R=O S=J T=N U=P V=U W=L X=I Y=S Z=B