Puzzle 1
Starter clue: M = T
DMDFEJFMLPNPFFGCWMJYPGCMADFNJLFMGLMVWDLEDLR,BJCMAQFMAJQZDVMYPEJCPSPLMVPMJZGCRFGVV.
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 44
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: E = A
NFNWEWHEFKPERFXQNB,EWFXOBOXPH;EHQFXERNFFRBNHZEHF,LBPCELW,FCBXHBNWEWLENHZKR,EWFCBXFCBP.
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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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: E = N
OHLCVCVNPHNGPAOBVCYPPEXKVEOPJOHGVIOBPWHLEJVOAHECHWHLKEVOAHEVGGAWPAEVEPURHEOAEPEO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: U = E
DUAZWUHAWUJIEVUIN,KXUTPUIEIAKTPIWUHCIPPCUEKZDZKL,KXUNUDUPHCKXUUINKX,KXUQIEBRUHCZKIPL.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: E = A
EVEUVEZRWUBUBKWRBDRSEPBBXXRRX,FIJLEWWRWBUJBEUBJTRSEWEDKURJBFRESPSELRWEPEKUKUWREWBU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: H = T
ORMSZPFWHFKOHTHSKY,HSKFNSKPIHSFHYFJSHSRNH;FH'OIFBKOKWZFWJHSKYNRAAIKOVSKWVPWHFWJPOSFNH.
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
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)
- “It is most necessary to bear this constantly in mind, for thus thou wilt be more gentle towards all.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=H B=F C=R D=I E=M F=S G=A H=K I=Q J=O K=Z L=N M=T N=C O=X P=E Q=U R=D S=G T=P U=V V=L W=Y X=J Y=B Z=W
- “It is as natural to die, as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful, as the other.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=Y B=E C=H D=Z E=A F=T G=Q H=N I=J J=C K=U L=P M=W N=I O=B P=R Q=D R=L S=G T=V U=X V=K W=S X=O Y=M Z=F
- “To us as a people it has been granted to lay the foundations of our national life in a new continent.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1905, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=I B=H C=S D=J E=N F=V G=L H=O I=Y J=D K=R L=U M=K N=P O=T P=E Q=Z R=C S=M T=Q U=W V=A W=F X=G Y=B Z=X
- “Venice once was dear, The pleasant place of all festivity, The revel of the earth, the masque of Italy.”— Lord Byron, 1818, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto IV, Stanza 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=Q C=F D=V E=S F=G G=J H=O I=A J=W K=T L=Y M=K N=R O=B P=L Q=M R=U S=Z T=P U=E V=D W=C X=H Y=X Z=I
- “A man makes no noise over a good deed, but passes on to another as a vine to bear grapes again in season.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, V. 6 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=O C=J D=V E=A F=B G=F H=C I=U J=T K=I L=P M=Z N=L O=Y P=G Q=W R=E S=R T=H U=N V=M W=S X=D Y=X Z=K
- “Such dainties to them, their health it might hurt; It's like sending them ruffles when wanting a shirt.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1776, The Haunch of Venison (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=K C=Y D=J E=Z F=I G=V H=T I=L J=G K=E L=P M=C N=R O=S P=A Q=X R=U S=H T=O U=Q V=W W=N X=B Y=M Z=D