Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Z = E
RSZMODZOGOMIXZIGNPKS,SZQMHRGMZPISZNNZCOIPHMGMHNANPZMVG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
- F
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- I
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Nature Cryptograms Set 20
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: W = E
BDKWMKWBTMGXOWVLGWTGDRWKNOWMPKLVOGUDTKGOMTZWWOXAGDVTK.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: W = T
QEQSANFCIHSWPYWFECKSQBLNFCIQWLHKXCPYSWHSAQSWYOOYMWWFF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: I = E
XOIHROIAYGIATWEIJHZHZYJI,YRYJIYROIAQAYIQSLZATSDOJXZFFIH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: O = N
OYHGVOPGCEEAOMHYCOIFCOLGVSGGAVMOYHWYBFARUIOCHTBAHYUACB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: K = E
YNKSKINKSKHTRLYWRILXYHDD,INKSKYHDDQKRLYWRILXLMMLSIFRHIZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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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)
- “When a peasant gets rich, he knows neither relations nor friends.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=U C=L D=P E=Y F=J G=S H=O I=T J=B K=C L=Q M=N N=R O=A P=I Q=K R=W S=H T=Z U=X V=D W=V X=G Y=M Z=E
- “Diseased Nature oftentimes breaks forth in strange eruptions.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, King Henry IV, Part I, Act III. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=D C=Q D=I E=J F=W G=T H=C I=L J=Y K=S L=F M=A N=B O=R P=K Q=X R=M S=V T=N U=H V=O W=E X=U Y=Z Z=G
- “I find you want me to furnish you with argument and intellect too.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1766, The Vicar of Wakefield, Chap. VII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=S C=U D=Z E=F F=O G=K H=A I=W J=V K=R L=H M=C N=Y O=L P=M Q=I R=Q S=N T=X U=B V=J W=T X=G Y=E Z=P
- “When the river makes no noise, it is either dried up or much swollen.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=Y C=X D=C E=K F=L G=V H=N I=E J=S K=Q L=P M=G N=Z O=H P=B Q=D R=T S=U T=M U=F V=J W=A X=W Y=I Z=O
- “Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=E B=R C=A D=Z E=P F=M G=H H=T I=Y J=X K=J L=W M=S N=K O=N P=G Q=V R=D S=C T=U U=B V=I W=F X=Q Y=O Z=L
- “Where there is no want of will, there will be no want of opportunity.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=G C=X D=L E=Q F=U G=J H=I I=T J=C K=E L=O M=P N=H O=D P=M Q=B R=N S=R T=S U=Z V=K W=A X=F Y=W Z=Y