Puzzle 1
Starter clue: U = E
JYGCC,RGOKKSGVZLOKSGXSPCKHXUCGTUVSJOUCY-MSPVJLPUTJPTLPTUHUPTUPVJNU;JPTVZUWGYYLPUDLVJRCKTUDUCSHOLPVSVZURSXU.
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 9
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 = E
CWWJFMFCLYOYCTNDMMXJMZEJQNFNFYQZJFMWYFYCZNH,FCLYXMTYDMMXJMZE,CWNFMRDFNFYVOCVXQYPYIMZYNFYVFCLYNFYNQOYNMHQDTQN.
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 3
Starter clue: Y = O
CEEYRLCNNLUGRNMFCLMDYHUIUMHYLZXCTPMH;CTHUNVUEEGMCAYYLCZZYRTNYIRFUIYRLSUMVFHYTYNDYHUIQCTHZXCTPMUTCALYAYLNUYT.
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: M = T
MUFZVTTVQXIMRLTIVMFWOMXWFVJBLMMLPWVMF,YXMMLPWVMFPUOMRLXCFOB;BLMMLOTTFQMRLXWWFOZFW,YXMMLOTTFQMUVCAWFQVJFIROJRLXPVJU.
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: D = E
DUDLZKDSLJJKSJKSHEDSJHJLBYCSYQTKDDLOAFFZKSHFDOJSKBRDOAFXPRAFHDEDKXYQXJXYJKDGBLFQ,SYQEDJJDLDQJKDJLSQXJXBYBOPSYVXYQ.
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: G = O
CGFRUMRNRCNFOGAXWITGPAVGPCFWBIGCCFMBRVMCFWIQRBCGFGYXRIGLWIWGI;BCWYYYMBBWBWCCFMBRVMCFWIQRBCGFRUMVRXMGIMSGATGPABMYS.
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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- U
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- Y
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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)
- “A full, busy youth is your only prelude to a self-contained and independent age; and the muff inevitably develops into the bore.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=X B=Z C=L D=V E=J F=Q G=U H=P I=K J=A K=Y L=I M=C N=G O=S P=N Q=W R=B S=O T=D U=E V=T W=M X=R Y=F Z=H
- “All who have meant good work with their whole hearts, have done good work, although they may die before they have the time to sign it.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=Q B=J C=A D=G E=K F=H G=Z H=S I=F J=W K=P L=V M=O N=T O=M P=B Q=I R=U S=X T=N U=C V=Y W=L X=D Y=E Z=R
- “All our attributes are modified or changed; and it will be a poor account of us if our views do not modify and change in a proportion.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=P B=K C=A D=M E=L F=S G=B H=D I=F J=Q K=X L=R M=E N=T O=Z P=G Q=Y R=U S=V T=N U=I V=W W=J X=H Y=O Z=C
- “The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean; not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=P B=N C=M D=Z E=J F=E G=V H=Q I=L J=S K=G L=O M=T N=X O=A P=W Q=C R=Y S=K T=F U=H V=I W=R X=U Y=B Z=D
- “Every heart that has beat strong and cheerfully has left a hopeful impulse behind it in the world, and bettered the tradition of mankind.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=U B=O C=G D=E E=B F=L G=W H=S I=X J=T K=H L=R M=Z N=J O=F P=M Q=D R=P S=A T=C U=V V=K W=Q X=I Y=N Z=Y
- “To have a catchword in your mouth is not the same thing as to hold an opinion; still less is it the same thing as to have made one for yourself.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=R B=S C=T D=Q E=X F=H G=O H=Z I=N J=K K=B L=P M=E N=C O=W P=U Q=G R=A S=F T=Y U=V V=M W=I X=D Y=L Z=J