Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = E
BEKOZWSDDZPSCWSQDKJSXDQDMJSQZEVOSXUMAPSQZSBQDZEAPSQZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Simplicity Cryptograms Set 10
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: F = R
ALFBFLWRPGQQPYVALFQUALFE,YEKAEPTFWXSWEVYFFGEBYUGFGRLFE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Q = S
FYRFGRRDEQRQGVGSRFWYQQVDSYOM,FGQGXPPMZSROYQQGXGSOQRFSC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: G = H
GSTMGWNXBNZGWDWMBNXBDZ'MZSSZGHZHMZSGWQBWZGWDEOBMMYGHOA!
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: V = E
OHGVBBRASYVFXDBVGMFVLRHVEVLIFXDBVGM,FSUNSSERIFXHWXBDRH!
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: N = S
LQXNCAXHLNIXJXNINITKXNHJHNNMXTELKMIGLYHGSKYVXNLSIFLXKT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
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- I
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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)
- “Doubtless the pleasure is as great of being cheated as to cheat.”— Samuel Butler, 1664, Hudibras, Part II, Canto III. Line 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=D C=P D=S E=O F=J G=Q H=M I=K J=R K=U L=Z M=G N=Y O=B P=H Q=A R=W S=E T=V U=N V=F W=L X=I Y=X Z=T
- “Our fruitless labours mourn, And only rich in barren fame return.”— Alexander Pope, 1726, The Odyssey of Homer (Pope's translation), Book X. Line 46 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=F C=X D=W E=N F=R G=E H=V I=P J=G K=D L=U M=Z N=Q O=K P=L Q=S R=T S=H T=Y U=M V=B W=I X=C Y=A Z=J
- “He that trusts a faithless friend, has a good witness against him.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Y B=V C=M D=R E=U F=H G=A H=Z I=C J=K K=P L=J M=D N=Q O=N P=O Q=S R=T S=I T=B U=X V=F W=L X=G Y=E Z=W
- “How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!”— William Shakespeare, 1606, King Lear, Act I. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=E C=U D=N E=K F=M G=H H=I I=Y J=Z K=F L=B M=S N=R O=L P=J Q=V R=X S=O T=W U=G V=Q W=A X=P Y=C Z=T
- “Unless above himself he can Erect himself, how poor a thing is man!”— Samuel Daniel, 1603, To the Lady Margaret, Countess of Cumberland, To the Countess of Cumberland. Stanza 12 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=S C=X D=M E=R F=H G=L H=N I=T J=Z K=Q L=C M=F N=P O=U P=K Q=D R=A S=O T=J U=W V=E W=G X=I Y=V Z=Y
- “This quiet sail is as a noiseless wing to waft me from distraction.”— Lord Byron, 1816, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto III, Stanza 85 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=K C=Q D=V E=G F=C G=F H=E I=A J=L K=O L=T M=W N=S O=Y P=Z Q=H R=J S=R T=N U=B V=D W=P X=I Y=M Z=X