Puzzle 1
Starter clue: B = N
JODKFHWEBZZKHUPQZWWJBR,DBK"DFZB"WELXCJBFIEOTHDE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
- C
- D
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- F
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- H
- I
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Simplicity Cryptograms Set 4
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: E = T
PDEPCEADOGKODOEPDYKEEYDKOFREVRTEPURXEPDZTDCE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: P = E
BWPKYVP,-XKYHHKPNKPXCBVHYCPUPHRPPWHRBPHPIWYHYPF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
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- D
- E
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: T = E
ATMPKSQWDNTTLVFHYOOHT,HTDOYOAFKAFWKSQWXSWOQMTD.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: I = E
XDNFIOQFIXCQVQFNVPVSIXXDIDZFXISBDISHZCQVCDIJNR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: H = T
HQMGMURCMRRUWHMWHUSWUWQURHSGIHQPWLMPRAGUJMHSUH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
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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)
- “I had most need of blessing, and "Amen" Stuck in my throat.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act II. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=N C=K D=A E=T F=M G=Z H=O I=Y J=I K=D L=U M=Q N=W O=H P=B Q=L R=G S=J T=R U=F V=P W=S X=C Y=V Z=E
- “He that despises the little is not worthy of the great.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=M C=A D=E E=T F=N G=P H=C I=X J=Z K=I L=K M=V N=B O=S P=H Q=J R=O S=U T=R U=Y V=W W=Q X=F Y=L Z=G
- “One life, - a little gleam of time between two Eternities.”— Thomas Carlyle, 1841, On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History, Heroes and Hero-Worship. The Hero as a Man of Letters (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=O C=M D=C E=V F=S G=K H=T I=R J=Y K=L L=H M=Q N=G O=X P=E Q=J R=W S=D T=U U=B V=F W=N X=A Y=I Z=P
- “Mend your speech a little, Lest it may mar your fortunes.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, King Lear, Act I. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=X C=Z D=S E=W F=A G=B H=L I=Q J=G K=Y L=C M=N N=P O=T P=D Q=U R=J S=O T=E U=K V=H W=R X=F Y=I Z=V
- “Shame comes to no man unless he himself help it on the way.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Q B=F C=T D=H E=B F=M G=R H=P I=E J=W K=X L=D M=G N=A O=C P=U Q=O R=Y S=L T=J U=K V=N W=Z X=S Y=V Z=I
- “There is less intention in history than we ascribe to it.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=C B=J C=L D=M E=Q F=G G=R H=T I=Y J=B K=X L=W M=E N=Z O=D P=A Q=H R=S S=O T=K U=I V=F W=N X=P Y=U Z=V