Puzzle 1
Starter clue: P = E
EXNNEPPVPYXPUGVHEXNNEPDIRVHUGTPVINNIOPHPUJXUPH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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- X
- Y
- Z
Simplicity 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 = E
PBYHGPPHYURRHYAZPBNPOGKYXYVBNDYXNWYKNJAYNPKBRO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: F = E
ZFJRVFAFKKNUMPBVCVFKKNWMPBLBKE,ZBEHFFDRENCMKPBA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: W = O
TAPTWRZJCBJRMWCMWROFVWWNHYT,JEPJXZMWAZVWWERVVEA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- E
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Y = H
YLYWFLGBJNYVBSBIYBYBUSFVYLYWGSULBMVYLMKEZGN-HWG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: N = O
IEVSHEZFOWSOCKNVVNQFOWCNQRYYRONLWZ,KLHONHUNVYNOW.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
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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)
- “Little enemies and little wounds are not to be despised.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=H B=Q C=F D=W E=L F=Z G=A H=D I=O J=P K=J L=K M=G N=T O=B P=E Q=X R=U S=Y T=R U=S V=N W=C X=I Y=M Z=V
- “The little foolery that wise men have makes a great show.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=H C=Z D=V E=U F=P G=I H=L I=Q J=G K=S L=J M=C N=A O=W P=T Q=D R=O S=B T=X U=F V=N W=K X=M Y=E Z=Y
- “Be careless in your dress if you must, but keep a tidy soul.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=L B=U C=D D=P E=T F=E G=V H=K I=Z J=C K=S L=M M=Y N=I O=W P=O Q=G R=A S=X T=H U=N V=R W=F X=Q Y=J Z=B
- “He who is afraid of doing too much, always does too little.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=R C=F D=Z E=L F=G G=Q H=U I=K J=A K=P L=B M=D N=M O=N P=W Q=V R=I S=J T=H U=X V=T W=O X=Y Y=C Z=S
- “He has enough to do who holds the handle of the frying-pan.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=O C=M D=K E=Y F=S G=N H=P I=W J=U K=R L=E M=F N=G O=C P=Q Q=X R=J S=D T=B U=L V=T W=A X=V Y=H Z=I
- “Scratching and borrowing do well enough, but not for long.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Y B=J C=D D=V E=C F=I G=X H=T I=S J=M K=B L=U M=P N=O O=N P=Q Q=W R=E S=A T=K U=F V=R W=G X=Z Y=L Z=H