Puzzle 1
Starter clue: D = E
VGPAXATGWODKOCGQKHTZVXMAODH?STSDXHBJGHADCLGJLVDMXLLMDGHDC.
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
Simplicity Cryptograms Set 13
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 = N
KSMYYSXMEUEX'VUREOUBJXYMVQXYYXDYNKEWPBNMEKEUYNXDWKE'VOPDVX.
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
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- U
- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: O = E
WUWECFUOCFIAZUFZRYOMRVVRAO,FCOPIEUZRYOEFPOUZWCAUFABOREOWU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- U
- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: P = E
YHYDXUPMDUVWUUFJPLTDXVLPXUUNODWPMMLPLYMMVUUXVLPNPLTHMPWG.
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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- V
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- Y
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: W = H
ZWFDDWRTRFMUMAWFGDUUYVDDYRULWVGWRFK,WRWFGDUUEXMWULWVGDFVY.
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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- S
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- U
- V
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: S = I
SFVAFZNSWEYOFJADWZSYYGLOXSFJ,-PYYZNSFBZNASDYSZZYAWAZVPFBSFJ.
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
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)
- “How did you rear so many children? By being fondest of the little ones.”— Portuguese proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=D B=G C=S D=E E=K F=V G=O H=N I=Z J=F K=A L=T M=L N=X O=R P=W Q=M R=J S=B T=Y U=Q V=H W=U X=I Y=P Z=C
- “A little in one's own pocket is better than much in another man's purse.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1615, Don Quixote, Part II, Chap. VII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=C C=X D=R E=N F=Y G=Q H=J I=F J=K K=A L=D M=I N=H O=P P=U Q=B R=W S=L T=Z U=O V=S W=M X=E Y=T Z=G
- “It is not enough to have cabbage, one must have something to grease it.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=R C=N D=J E=S F=O G=F H=Q I=U J=P K=W L=D M=C N=K O=E P=M Q=Y R=A S=X T=Z U=T V=B W=I X=L Y=V Z=H
- “A man does not look behind the door unless he has stood there himself.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Y B=G C=P D=N E=C F=K G=F H=M I=V J=B K=J L=H M=S N=R O=U P=E Q=Z R=X S=W T=I U=O V=T W=L X=D Y=A Z=Q
- “What the peacock has too little on his head, he has too much on his tail.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=K B=F C=G D=T E=M F=A G=S H=Y I=V J=B K=D L=N M=C N=Q O=X P=Z Q=J R=E S=R T=P U=O V=I W=H X=U Y=L Z=W
- “In men this blunder still you find, - All think their little set mankind.”— Hannah More, 1786, Florio, Part I (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=K C=W D=R E=B F=N G=Y H=V I=Q J=D K=X L=O M=Z N=H O=U P=A Q=G R=C S=I T=J U=P V=M W=S X=F Y=L Z=T