Puzzle 1
Starter clue: M = T
MQOCOBULSLPMFCOYQBGQBUBLEOCBSCMSPCM,ESCMQOPCMUBWBMPMOMQOLPMFCOUSEMQBLHU.
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 39
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: B = T
UBUTQVTTUNWZBVEIAZITZPUVDTBDPKVYGUKX,IKXRZBBVBIWSQWZITIKBWRIKXMEZZPYDWWR.
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: K = E
FQKAMJEVRUVDEUWKDUK,JQWUQJKGTKFKDXFVHKXKTWPKXRTVODMFLTK,GTVUKKXRTVOULEFVO.
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: J = O
JIKUFTYOINJSTF!WJYJJWTFGNJSWGHOGNKYOTX,YJIOYUNVTWRFUEFJYTIKXUWPOUETNTYYND.
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: O = E
WLDVCOJFOIWFDUPHODFAOFAIOCXOJ,LWJUPHOIDRLDYOIRFVUJAOROCNFFUILWJZULGBLDOI.
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: N = E
SXONSIAJMNINJXYNRTZXFJVONSZSJXVNTVONSJUVOSHNZ,TJNQNNVZOTTQAJMSXXYNZXNNVON.
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)
- “There is no nature which is inferior to art, for the arts imitate the natures of things.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=B B=I C=R D=Z E=F F=U G=C H=G I=P J=Q K=X L=N M=T N=V O=E P=A Q=H R=D S=O T=J U=S V=K W=M X=Y Y=W Z=L
- “It is possible to have a serious turn of mind, and yet to talk pleasantly and cheerfully.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=V B=T C=G D=U E=H F=X G=M H=Z I=A J=W K=N L=Q M=C N=B O=J P=R Q=P R=Y S=K T=S U=I V=O W=L X=D Y=F Z=E
- “The laws of conscience, which we pretend to be derived from nature, proceed from custom.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book I, Chap. XXII. Of Custom (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=K C=J D=N E=S F=T G=P H=B I=Z J=W K=E L=U M=A N=Y O=M P=V Q=H R=F S=G T=R U=C V=O W=I X=D Y=X Z=Q
- “O fairest flower! no sooner blown but blasted, Soft silken primrose fading timelessly.”— John Milton, 1673, Ode on the Death of a Fair Infant, dying of a Cough (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=H C=Z D=Y E=M F=R G=B H=U I=F J=O K=A L=C M=Q N=L O=T P=G Q=X R=P S=W T=E U=I V=K W=N X=D Y=S Z=J
- “Nature does not like to be observed, and likes that we should be her fools and playmates.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=B B=M C=R D=T E=C F=O G=Y H=K I=S J=D K=J L=A M=Z N=F O=E P=I Q=X R=H S=G T=Q U=L V=U W=N X=V Y=W Z=P
- “At leaving even the most unpleasant people and places, one keeps looking at the steeple.”— Lord Byron, 1819, Don Juan, Canto II. Stanza 14 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=R C=W D=X E=Y F=U G=J H=C I=V J=N K=Q L=F M=G N=E O=L P=B Q=K R=M S=A T=O U=D V=P W=Z X=T Y=H Z=S