Puzzle 1
Starter clue: I = E
CEWWCIVELTPMDIWMVITMLTPSFTSITFGVEPUADWSLI;FSWODIMWVELTPDEPIMFARIEW.
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 20
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: V = S
DE,EPRAISAVNNPIDNAJYDIWEXCVYKUXVNEPAZENKYVV,NEDITKYVV,XIFPIVXVNYINCDI!
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 3
Starter clue: M = T
VKJVISSDBAMVGTCIQGCGAARGAMIC'ACKM!MVGJKHCNUKHZGMMBFZ,TDMVGJKHCNUKHZKM.
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: F = E
CIOAAIFNOYFOGEBOMHIVAYKPPFQKBA;JROMR,ZFOQLGBNNFYFP,YOSFYGMCQQKAEBFQMR.
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 5
Starter clue: L = A
PLG,PZLAADGAFCCASOLMXLCCSKILKCPLFA,NBMPBSCZSCMFBDNZLKINLMCLXSCZSULAS?
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: D = T
EDEJMZDPMZSTLDZXPEMUSJDAEZSJ;JZYAPDLPYMDJ.GLYDYAPKZSEMUSJDAEZSJYXZSD?
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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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)
- “Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above it.”— Washington Irving, 1819, The Sketch BookCipher key: A=O B=J C=L D=R E=I F=B G=Y H=C I=E J=X K=P L=N M=A N=K O=G P=S Q=H R=V S=U T=D U=F V=M W=T X=Z Y=Q Z=W
- “Ah, how unjust to Nature and himself is thoughtless, thankless, inconsistent man!”— Edward Young, 1745, Night Thoughts, Night II. Line 112 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=P C=M D=A E=H F=C G=B H=Q I=N J=R K=L L=Z M=Y N=T O=V P=O Q=X R=W S=J T=K U=F V=S W=D X=I Y=E Z=G
- “How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot.”— Alexander Pope, 1717, Eloisa to Abelard, Line 207 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=I C=L D=Y E=C F=N G=E H=R I=A J=W K=O L=Z M=T N=D O=Q P=X Q=M R=V S=P T=B U=F V=H W=K X=U Y=J Z=G
- “A little fire is quickly trodden out; Which, being suffered, rivers cannot quench.”— William Shakespeare, 1592, King Henry VI, Part III. Act IV. Sc. 8 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=U C=A D=X E=Q F=E G=S H=K I=L J=W K=O L=G M=C N=F O=I P=D Q=N R=H S=V T=M U=P V=Y W=Z X=J Y=R Z=B
- “Say, shall my little bark attendant sail, Pursue the triumph and partake the gale?”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle IV. Line 385 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=U C=T D=M E=W F=I G=Y H=Z I=D J=C K=N L=A M=R N=P O=B P=S Q=O R=Q S=E T=F U=G V=J W=V X=K Y=X Z=H
- “It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?”— Henry David Thoreau, 1857, Letter to H. G. O. Blake, November 16, 1857, in Familiar LettersCipher key: A=R B=M C=J D=T E=I F=Z G=W H=C I=Q J=S K=Y L=H M=N N=V O=L P=E Q=F R=X S=U T=G U=D V=K W=P X=B Y=A Z=O