Puzzle 1
Starter clue: E = A
JQDTQXXBCRERQSOBETJKESUZEOOEFBOJMC,ECKJQGKRJBNSIESRJNCFTECKGBRQRJBOMC.
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 36
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: G = T
L,OGORXWKXUUXFGGLJZAXZPOZFG'RRGDXFPGJ;INGOGORGMDZFFLNRGLNRXOGUOBXZPOZFG.
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: Z = A
HDCDWSXZJQFRDJZKQYYQJ;YIQYINHPNF,YDCQZKGZSFIZOOSGNYIOKQZFZHYXDBOZHNDHF.
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: P = E
NZPWVPPNFIEUNBMPXWYFQP;APN,XIXZUQPUIMXPEKXUCNFMCPENPKRACAXCHPMIPGNXFEW.
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: Z = I
HISRZBVYZFZHOLNGTHEUSZRGLHHITHCIZFIBTOSTRZYOQSUSTK,QEHZRZGSDITERHZQYS.
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: M = T
YWUMAHZGSFMASHZL,ZLBYZLMWDVMMASDSTTWY;MASUSFMVFZTTKJMTSZMASUWUCUJLSTTW.
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)
- “How commentators each dark passage shun, And hold their farthing candle to the sun.”— Edward Young, 1728, Love of Fame, the Universal Passion, Satire VII. Line 97 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=E C=N D=W E=A F=G G=L H=V I=F J=H K=D L=Y M=U N=I O=S P=X Q=O R=T S=R T=C U=K V=J W=B X=M Y=Q Z=P
- “O, it is excellent to have a giant's strength; but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Measure for Measure, Act II. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=K C=F D=R E=Z F=N G=T H=W I=B J=H K=C L=O M=Y N=U O=I P=G Q=D R=S S=J T=M U=L V=Q W=X X=E Y=P Z=A
- “Nobody cares for a letter; the thing is, to be always happy with pleasant companions.”— Jane Austen, 1815, EmmaCipher key: A=U B=M C=B D=O E=Z F=S G=W H=N I=H J=R K=L L=X M=K N=I O=P P=G Q=E R=F S=Y T=V U=Q V=J W=D X=C Y=T Z=A
- “The sweet of nature is love; yet, if I have a friend I am tormented by my imperfections.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=Y B=U C=M D=G E=N F=O G=C H=P I=F J=K K=D L=X M=R N=T O=Q P=E Q=V R=B S=Z T=J U=A V=W W=S X=I Y=L Z=H
- “The simplicity of nature is not that which may easily be read, but is inexhaustible.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=V B=M C=W D=X E=U F=C G=N H=T I=H J=K K=D L=O M=J N=F O=Y P=Q Q=B R=S S=E T=A U=R V=P W=G X=Z Y=L Z=I
- “Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow; The rest is all but leather or prunello.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle IV. Line 203 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=D C=P D=F E=V F=S G=K H=M I=C J=U K=B L=N M=T N=Q O=X P=J Q=Y R=G S=E T=L U=R V=I W=O X=Z Y=W Z=A