Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = T
OYUGGYMUIWIM'AWLIXWJRMGUAPMGGMNGSOIVQJSUIOIWGSMNVOI'AXQNAM.
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
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Miguel de Cervantes 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: T = E
XVKTDGWEFPDUXILAJTJDFFKTBATDFTF,CLWTHJLGEHMDFXDGCATWIGTWDEH.
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 3
Starter clue: O = E
XNOASFPOKFJIFSPOQBRXNZQGBSXRJO,FJMOPOSDKFJZQXNOQBJBGNZQBLJLBSYQ.
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: H = E
ZHXOBPPSXOC-PBESJHQ,XKQMXKPHHJSBKEPLKQHOEOGLKQ,XKQDLMSDGOHBKJSHPYBHP.
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 5
Starter clue: X = T
LXLUYTUXTBBFNSXVNDQVUMXOTXCOTXFNUXUZQTVQUXLU,TSZNGPOXXNJQ,ENUXDTBGQZ.
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: Z = E
NHLWIMMJABLPVLASZIILALWMXBZP,LWRIZXGZLIMWZXMJZZVXBZHMTSZTAMQXMKGFZFZA.
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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- T
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- X
- Y
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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)
- “A little in one's own pocket is better than much in another man's purse.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1615, Don Quixote, Part II, Chap. VII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=G C=J D=Z E=Y F=X G=T H=Q I=N J=C K=D L=W M=E N=R O=A P=B Q=U R=K S=H T=V U=I V=M W=O X=P Y=L Z=F
- “My heart is wax moulded as she pleases, but enduring as marble to retain.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1613, La Gitanilla (Exemplary Novels), The Little Gypsy (La Gitanilla) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=P C=B D=A E=I F=S G=R H=N I=O J=D K=H L=U M=G N=C O=K P=W Q=Z R=V S=Q T=E U=X V=Y W=T X=M Y=F Z=J
- “The brave man carves out his fortune, and every man is the son of his own works.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1605, Don Quixote, Part I, Book I. Chap. IV (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=O C=J D=Y E=Z F=A G=F H=G I=C J=N K=M L=W M=D N=H O=E P=V Q=S R=U S=R T=P U=Q V=L W=X X=T Y=K Z=I
- “Fear is sharp-sighted, and can see things under ground, and much more in the skies.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1605, Don Quixote, Part I, Book III. Chap. VI (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=I C=P D=M E=G F=Q G=O H=E I=Z J=T K=N L=U M=C N=B O=R P=S Q=D R=J S=H T=V U=L V=W W=X X=A Y=K Z=F
- “It is past all controversy that what costs dearest is, and ought to be, most valued.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1605, Don Quixote, Part I, Book IV. Chap. XI (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=L C=W D=V E=M F=C G=U H=F I=J J=B K=Q L=I M=Y N=O O=H P=G Q=E R=X S=N T=A U=S V=R W=Z X=T Y=P Z=D
- “I can look sharp as well as another, and let me alone to keep the cobwebs out of my eyes.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1615, Don Quixote, Part II, Chap. XXXIII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=H C=V D=G E=Q F=Y G=M H=C I=L J=K K=F L=A M=O N=I O=X P=R Q=U R=D S=W T=B U=Z V=P W=N X=T Y=J Z=E