Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = E
KLBTFETFRVYASAQAMWKCA,YTKGCAPMWJTLSJACXMKGYCTLRKLA.
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
Nature Cryptograms Set 15
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: L = W
RSLRMFJOGLRDBRSXMY'BLDYB,LKQQGMMYGSQQLRDBRSXMSGLDYB.
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: H = T
HUGFEXHUIHRBNEMWGFRKHEHUGLEEFBLROOKEHUDKHTIKPFGGM.
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: M = A
EMQPCZGIMVPQMRBZXBSPUKYGXYGIMBKMWIMEUEZJZCQYZIMVZ.
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 5
Starter clue: O = H
XOZRJOTSYTBKOXOZWZNCTVTXMNGGRXOZJDVCWDVXOZDGONVCW.
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 6
Starter clue: F = E
YOFFZFYDITFVHMIFGMFFMVYGFITHODYXGFZFMYDTRMMFGAHOIM.
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)
- “If you would get exercise, go in search of the springs of life.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=E B=Y C=S D=Q E=W F=U G=N H=Z I=K J=H K=I L=F M=R N=J O=V P=A Q=X R=L S=T T=O U=M V=D W=C X=P Y=G Z=B
- “He who buys what he don't want, will soon sell what he does want.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=T C=P D=A E=Z F=B G=S H=F I=K J=U K=I L=W M=O N=Q O=Y P=J Q=L R=H S=E T=C U=G V=X W=M X=D Y=N Z=R
- “The dog that is forced into the woods will not hunt many deer.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=X B=S C=J D=U E=O F=D G=E H=T I=A J=P K=N L=W M=R N=F O=L P=Y Q=V R=I S=K T=M U=H V=Z W=C X=G Y=Q Z=B
- “Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First Series, History (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=L C=R D=J E=N F=Q G=I H=P I=S J=V K=W L=Z M=A N=X O=F P=U Q=T R=B S=O T=K U=D V=M W=Y X=C Y=H Z=E
- “They who plough the sea do not carry the winds in their hands.”— Publilius Syrus, 42 BC, Sententiae (Maxims), 759 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=U C=D D=I E=Q F=K G=R H=X I=V J=W K=G L=B M=C N=A O=H P=F Q=Z R=Y S=P T=O U=J V=N W=S X=T Y=L Z=E
- “One eye of the master sees more than four eyes of his servants.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=C C=X D=F E=L F=E G=R H=A I=T J=D K=G L=Z M=S N=J O=N P=B Q=K R=I S=W T=H U=P V=M W=Q X=U Y=O Z=Y