Puzzle 1
Starter clue: R = H
QRURPQDNTULNNMVUQQWVRUTBWOOBUEWVLUTORPVRURPQWVRWQFRNBUKNMG.
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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Simplicity Cryptograms Set 15
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 = E
VGTSDKUGTEGSSEFFETFSVICIJGWSRKFDYVRXICWKGXFTICOXGTYDKSRCFT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: M = I
FOOFSGMUOKRDRFSOMXV.MVRBRDOKMVGMKFBRKMOKFDAHVQRUUMODRWXHVAU.
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: D = N
IXDRFJGLXZXAANDHXXHA,DRLJRDOMAXHNDURLHA,DRLLGPIZNDQNDFBRMQBF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: D = I
OPDSSPFBIPPMDUVFUDXONPFDKLDHSLOSEDPPKISNFWCDPSMIBUSCADVDSM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: U = E
OUOMDDGTOZMKSNKKMGRDMJJDUPTYUZUJRMDJVUKJYNCCDUBTYUEMKJUGSU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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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)
- “She has more goodness in her little finger than he has in his whole body.”— Jonathan Swift, 1738, Polite Conversation, Dialogue II (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=L C=J D=M E=F F=W G=Y H=K I=X J=C K=B L=G M=D N=O O=T P=A Q=S R=H S=U T=R U=E V=N W=I X=V Y=Q Z=P
- “History is little else than a picture of human crimes and misfortunes.”— Voltaire, 1767, L'Ingenu. Chap. X. (1767) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=J C=N D=O E=L F=E G=I H=B I=A J=P K=R L=X M=G N=V O=D P=W Q=Z R=U S=T T=S U=Y V=H W=C X=M Y=F Z=Q
- “Attack is the reaction. I never think I have hit hard unless it rebounds.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. V. Chap. VI. 1775 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=V C=Q D=R E=Z F=A G=K H=U I=Y J=M K=H L=P M=I N=G O=T P=W Q=L R=E S=C T=J U=S V=N W=B X=O Y=F Z=X
- “Be not careless in deeds, nor confused in words, nor rambling in thought.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, VIII. 51 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=H C=Q D=N E=Z F=T G=A H=D I=B J=C K=V L=R M=U N=I O=F P=M Q=G R=O S=X T=K U=W V=Y W=J X=E Y=P Z=L
- “A little folly is desirable in him that will not be guilty of stupidity.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1588, Essays, Book III, Chap. IX. Of Vanity (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=F C=U D=I E=W F=E G=Z H=M I=O J=K K=N L=H M=Y N=B O=A P=L Q=X R=J S=T T=V U=S V=D W=G X=R Y=C Z=Q
- “We will now discuss in a little more detail the Struggle for Existence.”— Charles Darwin, 1859, On the Origin of Species, Chap. III (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=F C=G D=L E=X F=K G=N H=Z I=Q J=T K=S L=J M=I N=U O=W P=M Q=Y R=A S=C T=O U=E V=H W=P X=V Y=R Z=D