Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = I
AXABKGXXGOXQEADGCUNKGNQUGFAXWAX,XWCUXQNAGNCAEPAUXWGBAZHOQQJ.
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
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- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Robert Louis Stevenson Cryptograms Set 3
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: H = T
UHUXMORUMOMSCQDVMOVHERSUYJHVOOX,DFMFEHFODVSCXEQDVMHEXUHXHUSS.
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: H = E
QNQBBJIHKMPHMZLWVWZJPNNEVNAHZAKHBEZJKWPHVCZZWWHVKQWKHQLMZJNE.
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: C = S
DHDCIPCHBQJSVHBCJVHTJHJLUCTBPNRZUIBFCDRUSUR,ZUIJPCUDHIBQUCNJCH.
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: Z = T
FZFQJPZZPHZKDKQPTPWDZTDFEPWQLPGNZTHFYZZTWGZKIWQZPFZDFEPWAFQPH.
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: R = E
JFRDPOHJPHGROJSPQWLCOPVFJRO,CMJJFRHRGYQBHJSVRPHJFRZYORXRSGRDMW.
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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- R
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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)
- “It is better to live and be done with it, than to die daily in the sickroom.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=I B=S C=A D=V E=L F=W G=E H=K I=F J=M K=B L=P M=U N=D O=R P=Y Q=O R=X S=G T=Q U=N V=Z W=H X=T Y=J Z=C
- “It is decidedly harder to climb trees, and not nearly so hard to sit still.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=F B=J C=Y D=A E=O F=N G=Z H=T I=U J=B K=P L=Q M=D N=X O=E P=G Q=H R=C S=L T=K U=I V=R W=V X=S Y=M Z=W
- “It is surely beyond a doubt that people should be a good deal idle in youth.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=P B=S C=G D=V E=H F=Z G=F H=E I=R J=U K=L L=N M=Y N=T O=X P=B Q=I R=K S=W T=M U=J V=A W=D X=C Y=Q Z=O
- “It is customary to say that age should be considered, because it comes last.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=K B=O C=S D=I E=P F=N G=X H=T I=C J=A K=Z L=G M=W N=L O=F P=U Q=M R=D S=R T=H U=E V=Y W=V X=Q Y=J Z=B
- “It is better to lose health like a spendthrift than to waste it like a miser.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=M B=G C=U D=L E=K F=I G=N H=R I=W J=B K=O L=P M=J N=D O=V P=E Q=S R=C S=X T=H U=Q V=Y W=A X=Z Y=F Z=T
- “The first is certainly brighter, but the second stage is the more peaceful.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=V B=D C=B D=F E=Z F=H G=C H=S I=J J=T K=Q L=Y M=U N=X O=R P=I Q=N R=E S=A T=K U=W V=G W=L X=P Y=O Z=M