Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = E
ZFHMYNHIFYDFSZFHPCQEKMHZGCLHCZSI,EBJRYAHZSNEOHIFEZIHZSBEZGPHSIH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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- O
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Nature Cryptograms Set 29
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: C = O
XSJXCKYLSDKCFSCTVCRNXYGXSZDJCGN,SZNXSFKSYGDNCQXSYNVCRCFJYGNDVCR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: H = T
OCJEORZJHHKHVLQAWLEHC,QBNLEHHKHVHQAWLEHC,QBNRAJQOQBH,HVV,HVHCEBWVB.
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: O = N
HOHZZHOQQZHCQSZHGHOACGCOQUKYOCMKZGHNJSZNX,SZCOTZHOPK,SZCOKOFNHOX!
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: W = S
NXPFOUEPWNLNDHJDJNDLNXDWTRDJJNXFW,NWYWUOUWWPKPDSRUWNWPKPDWDNXFW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: H = T
WEPFQDJRVDHQQIFHSFHBGFHQBZBVFIVIS,HTKBBHHQBFPJPGTJHQBPGAIJZAIVJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- L
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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)
- “The life which others pay let us bestow, And give to fame what we to nature owe.”— Alexander Pope, 1720, The Iliad of Homer (Pope's translation), Book XII. Line 393 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=N C=S D=C E=A F=H G=U H=E I=W J=D K=Y L=B M=L N=F O=M P=R Q=P R=G S=O T=K U=Q V=X W=J X=Z Y=I Z=T
- “He who makes more of you than he is wont, either means to cheat you or wants you.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=P B=Q C=O D=S E=V F=R G=N H=X I=B J=W K=M L=K M=L N=T O=Z P=D Q=C R=U S=E T=F U=J V=Y W=G X=H Y=A Z=I
- “She is pretty to walk with, And witty to talk with, And pleasant, too, to think on.”— Sir John Suckling, 1646, Brennoralt, Act II (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=N C=H D=G E=I F=Z G=X H=T I=M J=E K=Y L=W M=C N=D O=S P=V Q=A R=P S=Q T=U U=F V=O W=K X=J Y=B Z=R
- “An arrant traitor as any is in the universal world, or in France, or in England!”— William Shakespeare, 1599, King Henry V, Act IV. Sc. 8 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=J C=I D=X E=K F=G G=S H=A I=P J=W K=E L=B M=V N=L O=N P=C Q=T R=Z S=O T=F U=H V=M W=Q X=D Y=U Z=R
- “An idler is a watch that wants both hands, As useless if it goes as if it stands.”— William Cowper, 1782, Poems (1782), Retirement. Line 681 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=J C=Y D=T E=R F=D G=Q H=C I=M J=H K=F L=W M=Z N=A O=L P=I Q=K R=O S=G T=B U=E V=P W=S X=N Y=U Z=V
- “Brushing with hasty steps the dews away, To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.”— Thomas Gray, 1751, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Elegy in a Country Churchyard. Stanza 25 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=E C=X D=I E=R F=S G=P H=T I=A J=N K=M L=Q M=V N=K O=Z P=U Q=H R=G S=Y T=O U=C V=W W=B X=J Y=F Z=D