Puzzle 1
Starter clue: D = E
ZTQBOMTODGRXBOMBCZMSGVSRGBQDDOTHAM;RMDVMTCDSGRTTCSRRCDZTQBPOBJD.
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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- Z
Simplicity Cryptograms Set 18
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: H = E
ZAAZHFBXBHPHBBFZKSFBJAUPYJSAPFVSKHZBKSHQXUYHZAEFKEAUMZGAZHHPBH.
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 3
Starter clue: H = S
GRYPTBQYHGMGLISLSGLMGRLHWULSSGRPH,GHVHBTBHHYCYLAUBHGHYCYLHLGRPH.
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: T = E
EVTWIGXTRBJOTLWMDPUHICPJOTGTOOEVHICHOEVPEWITPNDHMTOHEHIETIOTGX.
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: Q = T
MLPGE'QXVBNPS,JNQMLPGEBGCLVNTOUQQOLIGPTUZUPLI,GEXVNWSQQVXVUQWOGXOH.
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 6
Starter clue: L = S
FYWIWDLTCRDBWLCLDJHQWPSFELLSJWLLCJWJEIACURDIFSWDTYDLCSFOEIMHEIFL.
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)
- “For an honest man half his wits are enough; the whole is too little for a knave.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=A C=L D=E E=Z F=D G=S H=U I=Y J=V K=J L=X M=H N=P O=N P=K Q=R R=T S=I T=O U=C V=W W=Q X=M Y=B Z=F
- “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for any one else.”— Charles Dickens, 1865, Our Mutual FriendCipher key: A=O B=S C=M D=Z E=F F=I G=Y H=E I=J J=W K=T L=V M=A N=K O=C P=L Q=B R=P S=H T=Q U=R V=G W=X X=U Y=D Z=N
- “An idler is a watch that wants both hands, As useless if it goes as if it stands.”— William Cowper, 1782, Poems (1782), Retirement. Line 681 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=E C=F D=X E=J F=M G=A H=S I=C J=Z K=Y L=T M=W N=Q O=K P=D Q=R R=N S=H T=L U=O V=U W=B X=P Y=I Z=V
- “The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=J B=C C=G D=M E=T F=Q G=L H=I I=N J=U K=Z L=F M=R N=D O=S P=A Q=W R=X S=V T=E U=K V=H W=O X=Y Y=P Z=B
- “We can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly.”— Louisa May Alcott, 1868, Little WomenCipher key: A=P B=M C=K D=Z E=N F=Q G=A H=Y I=S J=B K=V L=E M=W N=U O=L P=C Q=T R=J S=H T=R U=I V=O W=G X=D Y=X Z=F
- “There is no vice so simple but assumes some mark of virtue in his outward parts.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=C C=O D=I E=A F=T G=Y H=P I=R J=M K=Q L=S M=D N=Z O=W P=B Q=L R=V S=U T=N U=F V=G W=E X=J Y=H Z=X