Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = E
IHFFHZFZWCNHXWUIHGPDCHXYCH,QDPZAPPZHQYWPFFOYDZMLHHEGHWCFOYCH.
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 16
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: S = E
ZSQZTMBISELTRBJSTAPUMMPSMZULCE,QUPPLTMZBDSMZSRBJSTACJSBMTLSE.
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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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: I = E
LEIWXRXGTXNRRUVIEQUWIELSQWULFIXVUWIYBRPLVUSEIRLPLEI'RPVBIEKR.
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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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: H = E
DGDPIEHXPXQGHQVOYNYVDQYXJVVGMNHQUVOEHXKUVOFNVFPHLUGNHLFDKEH.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: O = T
HWOOWAGYFOOYWFMZWGJWGMKBFOPAFQPO,OPGMRXJPBFOPGMEFWOUGMKIOAFSW.
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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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: B = E
BCBLGFJBZACBTPAWTBDSILBKAESFLWFLBMLYAJTEPYJPBPYT,YJKDBTTWFJBG.
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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- X
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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)
- “Vessels large may venture more, But little boats should keep near shore.”— Benjamin Franklin, 1757, The Way to Wealth (Poor Richard, 1758), Maxims prefixed to Poor Richard's Almanac, 1757 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=Q C=R D=U E=P F=S G=N H=E I=V J=Z K=X L=K M=D N=G O=H P=T Q=B R=F S=W T=C U=Y V=J W=A X=M Y=O Z=L
- “He who takes no care of little things, will not have the care of great ones.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=A C=G D=V E=S F=Z G=B H=U I=K J=R K=X L=N M=T N=M O=D P=L Q=W R=C S=E T=O U=I V=P W=Y X=Q Y=J Z=H
- “One has always strength enough to bear the misfortunes of one's friends.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=K B=I C=Z D=C E=N F=B G=L H=V I=E J=P K=D L=O M=J N=Y O=Q P=F Q=G R=S S=U T=W U=T V=R W=H X=A Y=M Z=X
- “It is pleasant enough going afoot when you lead your horse by the bridle.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=M B=V C=Q D=I E=L F=R G=T H=E I=P J=F K=D L=B M=W N=H O=U P=S Q=N R=K S=J T=X U=Y V=O W=Z X=A Y=G Z=C
- “Better a little in peace and with right, than much with anxiety and strife.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=W C=O D=V E=X F=I G=A H=B I=S J=C K=D L=Z M=N N=K O=T P=H Q=G R=M S=F T=J U=Y V=Q W=E X=U Y=L Z=P
- “Every one gives himself credit for more brains than he has, and less money.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=E C=V D=L E=T F=O G=Y H=U I=C J=N K=D L=R M=B N=Z O=P P=H Q=J R=X S=F T=S U=Q V=W W=M X=K Y=A Z=G