Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = E
ZKSHTHKTOHZJFOOKJYCHNWRLHIZHORGHFTROO;YCHUYIFLHOKWYCIKNXCYCHJKIOE,ORGHZSRORWXRSFXHZTNZCHEBIKSMHCRWE.
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 8
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: N = E
AMNEWGNWBECBNFILAMNBNFUWBLNFAMFUNAZWBFSWPDHMUFDNDAMFATUWZMFULNUAWPILNUDAFILAMNSWUNZNAMCIYFRWPAAMNS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: M = S
AUTYSRRKTMSYLSCAUUGQTGHGMKMKPMSCPVDTGMSP,XCMAGMOCFUGMAUTTOHGDDGMMKPJECTMAKSPMICAHLHGHTMGPVMCFWRKPJM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: S = E
EPWVODZVDXJODWSSDONIBEWSZXTSVKWPLJTSNWJWGSONYZNKNXDZXS;DZVJTSBDWSDIIJTSIDZYGDYSESTDRSJPXPLSDZVYPGCPZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: N = O
MSZWQADGXQCPNRXTSQZTTNASNYZDQGXMTEXCNKNWTXKKDMXNQDJXMRDKZQNUSZKZPZMMZKGXTYJDRZGMSDQXQVWZTMXNQTNAFNQGWFM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: H = E
BZHNOBWXDPNOPCOBAHXOWDBAIPDOWXUWDEHXDBJAHCPNEHPEAHMTPMPQAUDEHXULHBNDOPYHOTHNBXUXPOJPNHOTHIDHASHDOPUHBOT.
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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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)
- “Some people swallow the universe like a pill; they travel on through the world, like smiling images pushed from behind.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=Z B=F C=H D=Q E=D F=A G=K H=E I=R J=W K=O L=V M=B N=U O=L P=X Q=C R=I S=M T=P U=Y V=J W=N X=G Y=T Z=S
- “The love of Life and the fear of Death are two famous phrases that grow harder to understand the more we think about them.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=T B=F C=I D=S E=L F=A G=V H=P I=N J=C K=X L=D M=H N=E O=Y P=U Q=Z R=B S=M T=G U=R V=Q W=O X=J Y=K Z=W
- “The follies of youth have a basis in sound reason, just as much as the embarrassing questions put by babes and sucklings.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=T B=Z C=U D=R E=Q F=C G=A H=B I=P J=G K=I L=Y M=S N=X O=M P=N Q=V R=L S=O T=E U=H V=D W=K X=J Y=F Z=W
- “Words and acts are easily wrenched from their true significance; and they are all the language we have to come and go upon.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=J B=Y C=P D=A E=W F=X G=U H=K I=L J=T K=F L=M M=B N=I O=S P=O Q=Z R=V S=E T=H U=Q V=D W=R X=C Y=G Z=N
- “The unfading boyishness of hope and its vigorous irrationality are nowhere better displayed than in questions of conduct.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=F B=J C=G D=A E=V F=C G=D H=Z I=K J=L K=R L=X M=T N=O O=M P=B Q=N R=Y S=H T=S U=W V=Q W=U X=I Y=P Z=E
- “A certain sort of talent is almost indispensable for people who would spend years together and not bore themselves to death.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=L B=A C=F D=S E=P F=K G=X H=E I=M J=B K=Q L=Y M=W N=R O=T P=O Q=U R=Z S=V T=H U=D V=J W=I X=N Y=G Z=C