Puzzle 1
Starter clue: O = E
JRYHKHFITORTLFTVFSOZJCXSTZOJCROGODLFHTC,XSHDSTLF-WHMORFSOZTRFLCFHZOWNOCQHCI.
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
Robert Louis Stevenson 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: Y = O
TYYPNBXMDYYIMCYFDGWCAGMWXYZCZBS,TFAAGMSBXMBOWDGASTRYYIRMNNNFTNAWAFAMVYXRWVM.
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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- T
- U
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: W = T
WDLNLHRXEWDHXCKENLSLNWUHXWDUXWDUWYEWDUNLNHCDW,LASLZWZLNDUZRWDUWYEWDUNLINEXC.
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 4
Starter clue: X = T
CMMLQQYQ,OYXNLQLMWTLQGCM,KPCPXQYOBZCWYRPXCXKOBXJCXXJLEVQQLOXXQVXJKPKOEYNFMLXL.
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 = A
PQNYHZXOARUGRNHYNRVUU;HZLHUPQAVWQHPQAVOHZLRHUU,PQNYNHYNHUMHTOOASNPAWAGZPAPQNKYNHDQ.
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: I = E
ORIXWFBINTYOCTI,EWWPCFZVIAWNIYFMYAOIN,MNYHBANWQIYXRXWFOIQUEYOCWFORIQYOOINAWNXWFOIFO.
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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- T
- U
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- 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)
- “A spirit goes out of the man who means execution, which out-lives the most untimely ending.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=Z B=J C=N D=C E=K F=T G=X H=I I=G J=A K=R L=U M=V N=Y O=E P=Q Q=D R=S S=H T=O U=B V=F W=L X=W Y=P Z=M
- “Books are good enough in their own way, but they are a mighty bloodless substitute for life.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=T B=A C=N D=G E=Q F=U G=H H=X I=D J=C K=P L=Z M=E N=S O=M P=K Q=J R=L S=Y T=B U=V V=F W=I X=R Y=O Z=W
- “There is nothing more certain than that both are right, except perhaps that both are wrong.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=X B=K C=G D=H E=O F=V G=J H=I I=W J=Y K=M L=E M=L N=R O=Q P=F Q=D R=S S=C T=Z U=A V=U W=T X=N Y=B Z=P
- “All error, not merely verbal, is a strong way of stating that the current truth is incomplete.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=K B=G C=A D=Q E=C F=P G=B H=Z I=J J=H K=I L=E M=L N=M O=N P=S Q=R R=F S=X T=V U=D V=U W=Y X=T Y=O Z=W
- “The ranks of life are full; and although a thousand fall, there are always some to go into the breach.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=O B=Q C=P D=C E=X F=J G=I H=A I=Z J=V K=B L=D M=W N=E O=S P=T Q=H R=F S=M T=Y U=L V=U W=G X=K Y=R Z=N
- “The conservative, looking before and after, draws from each contemplation the matter for content.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=F B=S C=I D=Z E=L F=N G=U H=W I=E J=Y K=X L=Q M=D N=R O=T P=K Q=M R=H S=J T=V U=P V=B W=O X=C Y=A Z=G