Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = E
BHYFBYPOCSPGBYOHTAPJYAOMBPAOMJOTANAYXAGJIIHP.
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
Perseverance Cryptograms Set 5
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
WLDVMFOTPMSMDHLKRRPMFVHNRJIKDIVARMBDTHLRKSOF.
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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- X
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: V = E
VYVZGCQVVPMVWXFQXCUVBDFQTFQADFMDIQCBDVZRIFWX.
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: N = A
PHFEBTNQINBNXEVZRHELJFDNEVZQXAHOQFRNIXVZNEDH.
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: N = O
HMRRXJGT,MOFWNKQJRRXCCQSNJXWNKUHUJCOFMOFQSNOND.
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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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: X = O
DAIXVTXVMCPKXTTFYRYCXMMYQDETXQRF,RQIRXUXQQXTDR.
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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- X
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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)
- “Our worst misfortunes are those that never befall us.”— English proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=E B=O C=M D=G E=Q F=W G=F H=U I=L J=A K=X L=J M=H N=V O=T P=S Q=D R=P S=I T=N U=Y V=Z W=K X=B Y=R Z=C
- “If the sky were to fall we should catch plenty of larks.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=P B=N C=V D=T E=M F=S G=X H=O I=C J=D K=A L=F M=E N=U O=K P=W Q=J R=L S=R T=Y U=Q V=H W=I X=G Y=Z Z=B
- “Every one excels in something in which another fails.”— Publilius Syrus, 42 BC, Sententiae (Maxims), 17 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=T C=O D=H E=D F=I G=Y H=B I=A J=P K=J L=K M=C N=Q O=Z P=X Q=N R=F S=U T=G U=M V=E W=L X=S Y=V Z=R
- “Be on guard against men who can strike from a distance.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=K B=G C=X D=C E=N F=O G=J H=E I=D J=H K=Z L=W M=Y N=A O=F P=B Q=R R=M S=L T=U U=V V=S W=Q X=I Y=P Z=T
- “Fall sick, and you will see who is your friend and who not.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=P C=E D=T E=X F=D G=C H=F I=G J=I K=U L=J M=A N=O O=N P=M Q=W R=L S=H T=K U=R V=B W=Y X=S Y=Q Z=V
- “If you would know what a dollar is worth, try to borrow it.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=C C=D D=I E=S F=H G=M H=E I=Y J=X K=N L=J M=L N=Q O=P P=K Q=R R=T S=Z T=W U=B V=U W=G X=O Y=A Z=V