Puzzle 1
Starter clue: U = S
AWUJPOOCDYRKZYU,FCDJCUZGPOOUVZOCLRCEUARYLUURQSVPLYRSPOU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
- N
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- Z
Nature Cryptograms Set 21
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: H = T
ZYMWHYMHDMMFKRLZWMIMDSLWMDBWKHLFHZFHYJYJHEYMHHLEBHZLLR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Z = E
WQRPASYBIIPXBPSTZNKZIT,TZZXQPKIJZDWBIKPAVCZPKWBUCZYTAKZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: A = E
OAROYZQKFVZFAKSQOARYYVWPQQASJZCJHACTQYGAOJQGTKZUCJFQAS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = E
ASNOIGYTIGQANBSMUNOYYTAPPMRRDNSMBP,PGGXPYSRUGITADGRSMUN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: V = N
PVRIQVPMJRVJQNOWQVPJSRCPMMSKWLRVYS,QVAWRQJWSKIWRNMFGPVKJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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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)
- “By shallow rivers, to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.”— Christopher Marlowe, 1599, The Passionate Shepherd to his Love, to his Love (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=X C=O D=W E=U F=T G=F H=K I=Z J=H K=V L=D M=C N=Q O=L P=A Q=N R=I S=G T=J U=S V=M W=Y X=P Y=R Z=E
- “When the tree is down every one runs to it with a hatchet to cut wood.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=U C=L D=R E=C F=I G=F H=T I=V J=A K=S L=O M=E N=P O=K P=M Q=B R=D S=Y T=G U=J V=X W=N X=Q Y=H Z=W
- “If you want to know secrets, seek for them in trouble or in pleasure.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=U B=N C=L D=M E=G F=Z G=Q H=X I=T J=H K=R L=J M=D N=C O=V P=O Q=F R=Y S=W T=S U=P V=B W=I X=K Y=A Z=E
- “He who stands near the woodcutter is likely to be hit by a splinter.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=V C=L D=F E=X F=N G=B H=K I=J J=I K=A L=Z M=Q N=M O=H P=U Q=T R=W S=R T=Y U=P V=D W=C X=G Y=O Z=S
- “To have lived through all its sunny hours, seems longevity enough.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=T B=R C=J D=Y E=K F=X G=E H=P I=V J=C K=Q L=Z M=U N=H O=A P=S Q=D R=N S=O T=I U=G V=B W=F X=M Y=L Z=W
- “One man often talks another off his bench, and seats himself upon it.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=Z C=R D=Q E=V F=U G=P H=X I=M J=T K=I L=B M=F N=L O=K P=O Q=A R=E S=H T=G U=J V=N W=S X=W Y=C Z=Y