Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
XJDCSKQKEN,MTYJNX,XJDCSKQKEN,QNSBNENYNLNJPNEXNPNE,-KSNVKKUJSXNTTSYKSNKSXCKEN,UKKSNUCJSDLKSXUTSUSNPNE.
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 50
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: P = I
POGQFWPTHRFDZTXRZTGQPDWFROPTUADPGZERJATQPWPTWGPTYGW,ZTUGQFKFZEPUF,GQFQIHFCAKRUCPRRYADFKAITUGAQPD.
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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- X
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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: U = E
VMJQUXMNYSMXINDUNZGJXYEU'ILNYEGUWDUGMJADJAUDUGJGAGNXDJAUXMUDFUOO,XMUWVDVXJXUAMYDJGVXWINJPNDVGJPOW.
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: Z = E
NVVHSZBJWIZJQYDZQYJBQACVNPDY,ABQYJBQACSABVNVP,OZKOBAXQKDNMDYDZQHVNSXZJBIQAVZLZBGIZJCJVOZLZBGCIAKZB.
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: H = E
JMYVTHUYZUPHCVLUPVWKGYXCZJULGH,WVGBJGQ,ZVUKHGXJZHZU,EBHHU,ZVUTJEUYZD,UPHKHGWLXHJZQELKKTYJZSHVWJXYZLUH.
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 6
Starter clue: B = E
WBVAVFDBEZQMEKBEDBZJDAKBXBDNEVZX,-XBDNEVZXYSZJBXYNBDBAFVYDXZEZB,XBDNEVZXYSSEWB,EVTXBDNEVZXYSGOXAVBXX.
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)
- “Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more, Men were deceivers ever, - One foot in sea and one on shore, To one thing constant never.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Much Ado about Nothing, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=W C=H D=G E=R F=B G=K H=Y I=J J=I K=O L=C M=L N=E O=P P=V Q=M R=U S=N T=A U=T V=F W=Q X=S Y=D Z=X
- “If the single man plant himself indomitably on his instincts, and there abide, the huge world will come round to him.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1836, Nature, Addresses and Lectures. The American Scholar (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=V C=W D=M E=B F=E G=T H=G I=U J=Y K=R L=J M=Z N=X O=F P=I Q=H R=L S=K T=N U=D V=Q W=S X=P Y=C Z=A
- “I have thought some of Nature's journeymen had made men and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=C C=K D=M E=R F=W G=N H=X I=S J=A K=Z L=J M=H N=O O=L P=B Q=V R=P S=G T=Q U=E V=I W=Y X=T Y=U Z=F
- “Innumerable as the stars of night, Or stars of morning, dewdrops which the sun Impearls on every leaf and every flower.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book V. Line 745 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=R C=F D=H E=Z F=J G=Y H=U I=L J=A K=W L=V M=C N=I O=D P=G Q=S R=K S=M T=X U=Q V=N W=B X=P Y=T Z=E
- “A violet in the youth of primy nature, Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, The perfume and suppliance of a minute.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act I. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=W C=Y D=G E=S F=X G=R H=E I=B J=A K=P L=U M=V N=K O=Q P=H Q=D R=Z S=C T=L U=T V=O W=F X=M Y=I Z=N
- “Men in great place are thrice servants, - servants of the sovereign or state, servants of fame, and servants of business.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, Essays, Of Great Place (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=E C=W D=R E=A F=G G=B H=X I=K J=H K=C L=J M=L N=V O=U P=Y Q=P R=Z S=F T=D U=Q V=N W=M X=S Y=O Z=T