Puzzle 1
Starter clue: V = E
WXVOVSOVUVIUTV,LXIWXVHIOVEICNIKIOWXVH,WXVTVAAWXVELFTTNIKIOWXVHAVTDVA.
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 21
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: O = E
VLAQNOEGEOAAVPC,YCYDCKWPCBOAOTPQO,WKEETPWIEYCDTKHCQNOQKWWOCQKUNYAUPQO?
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = E
KBTRTNGSTWQSGVLFGILSEATITWGKNQWKTIGIDQJDTNKBTJQNNQWMSTNTIKAJTNNGIFN.
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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- T
- U
- V
- W
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- Y
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: I = T
PRMQYZBISRPVIIPRYMWIVPWEIZEMVP,EKQRMLISRISVYZMQ,MYLAMIASISRLQVXVYOOMPR.
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
- W
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: I = A
EGXRIJDEIDCLDDCTOIHYCTDEJGXQELQWTIBQ!QGQELHTQIFGGYYTTYLHIHINFEDKXGJCY.
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
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: W = A
UWYMYNQJWHHFNZWUQRNDPFWZRYRUMY,WYZ,ANWBMYFNDDKRQDNFS,QWZNWUQDURZRPCFMCD.
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)
- “There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.”— Jane Austen, 1815, EmmaCipher key: A=S B=J C=U D=V E=Y F=I G=X H=M I=O J=G K=F L=W M=N N=D O=R P=K Q=C R=B S=A T=L U=P V=E W=T X=H Y=Z Z=Q
- “Must helpless man, in ignorance sedate, Roll darkling down the torrent of his fate?”— Samuel Johnson, 1749, The Vanity of Human Wishes, Line 345 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=C C=N D=G E=L F=Y G=P H=W I=K J=Z K=O L=U M=B N=H O=E P=A Q=T R=J S=X T=D U=F V=M W=R X=Q Y=I Z=V
- “The desire for imaginary benefits often involves the loss of present blessings.”— Aesop, 1867, Aesop's Fables (George Fyler Townsend translation, 1867)Cipher key: A=B B=H C=W D=V E=Y F=G G=I H=K I=N J=L K=T L=A M=P N=S O=C P=U Q=O R=D S=R T=E U=Z V=M W=F X=J Y=X Z=Q
- “Learn of the little nautilus to sail, Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale.”— Alexander Pope, 1734, An Essay on Man, Epistle III. Line 177 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=F C=K D=M E=S F=J G=Y H=B I=T J=Q K=P L=D M=A N=X O=G P=L Q=R R=E S=H T=W U=Z V=I W=U X=V Y=N Z=O
- “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=M C=L D=T E=H F=G G=O H=N I=A J=R K=Y L=I M=X N=U O=C P=Q Q=S R=F S=V T=E U=J V=P W=B X=W Y=D Z=K
- “Ran on embattled armies clad in iron, And, weaponless himself, Made arms ridiculous.”— John Milton, 1671, Samson Agonistes, Line 129 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=P C=U D=S E=K F=L G=Z H=T I=G J=B K=H L=Y M=O N=E O=J P=C Q=M R=I S=F T=X U=R V=Q W=A X=V Y=N Z=D