Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = R
ZANXGNWZQNNCKYKTGFNGMAWQZFWGPQNPJQKZYKGFKGNJAPSJLTZYKGFKGNYGNPXAZ.
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 33
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: M = E
CWMBXSFVFL,PWVJWVZCWMBXZCBMBXSDROMZMDZXFXACWMQDK,VZCWMDPDTMFVFLWXYS.
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: D = O
OFTUHEBDVIZTOU,NYTQYETEHDBIDWSFDZDHK,BYUNDFZEYPENPHBUEVPHIPHTEZUCDHK.
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
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- U
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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: M = S
FS,SXTDAGDMQQXAFQDLZFAJSPOMZUEPMQSXDCSQUZMM,QSFAHUZMM,PANXAMPMQZAQOFA!
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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- U
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- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Z = E
QFWGGFZTWUZWAJLWHEFOGUMXXZCMLG;PBWHB,IZWCVALTTZUZX,UWDZUAHQCCMGJLZCHB.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: L = T
SBPYEZNOZOFYRP,QSQHBEZNFSFUPZ'LBPHPF,LBFLEZNIQKBLPUPMOZYZLBQYKGNLLBFL.
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)
- “The great need of our merchant marine is not for more ships but for more freight.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1926, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=H B=Q C=D D=L E=V F=M G=R H=X I=W J=S K=O L=B M=C N=E O=Y P=I Q=N R=J S=P T=U U=Z V=K W=A X=G Y=F Z=T
- “The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=F B=M C=T D=A E=Q F=N G=Z H=V I=X J=C K=Y L=G M=E N=J O=L P=W Q=D R=B S=R T=K U=P V=I W=H X=O Y=U Z=S
- “Friend to my life, which did not you prolong, The world had wanted many an idle song.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, Prologue to the Satires. Line 27 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=T C=S D=O E=D F=R G=K H=N I=Y J=Q K=G L=J M=B N=W O=F P=A Q=C R=Z S=P T=I U=E V=M W=U X=V Y=H Z=L
- “Ah, how unjust to Nature and himself is thoughtless, thankless, inconsistent man!”— Edward Young, 1745, Night Thoughts, Night II. Line 112 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=Y C=G D=U E=F F=A G=J H=K I=V J=D K=Z L=R M=S N=C O=M P=I Q=T R=B S=H T=W U=L V=X W=P X=O Y=Q Z=E
- “A little fire is quickly trodden out; Which, being suffered, rivers cannot quench.”— William Shakespeare, 1592, King Henry VI, Part III. Act IV. Sc. 8 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=H C=N D=V E=K F=L G=T H=C I=B J=Q K=P L=U M=O N=X O=Y P=W Q=A R=Z S=M T=F U=R V=G W=I X=D Y=J Z=E
- “When you do dance, I wish you a wave o' the sea, that you might ever do nothing but that.”— William Shakespeare, 1611, The Winter's Tale, Act IV. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=H C=Z D=P E=Y F=A G=B H=S I=M J=X K=G L=T M=R N=U O=D P=E Q=I R=C S=W T=K U=V V=L W=Q X=J Y=N Z=O