Puzzle 1
Starter clue: O = I
MHKMNBGUMSDXOBOAJOAF;MAFMAZDXUSDXOATDZZ,DXMDCUSNHODDHUOAFUUFOBAUQUBBMSNEZSHOCOATMXMWWNHOEU.
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 28
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: L = E
MZMUXJWXWACLJUIZAPLZLWCMQLKELZELWUEL[QJZGWL]EJUTWARLPZAEMCJSMQPTJWLQZAWJCLWVMFLUUUZLTCAZELW.
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: M = S
BHBMJGHJSDSMMTQIHYTHTZTJMYGORFSTQJYBMRBUBJXPIHYSMCSTHGKYBMPQGC,OJRSMMYSMCSTHMSTMBSQHYTJBFG.
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 4
Starter clue: K = E
GRKCTIC,WKTGQKOIMKQVDUJKJVDGVNNIDUGT,IOJ,NVMGRKQVTG,WKEVQKQDERQVMKGRKWKGGKMNVMWKFOAIUFGGUKWIJ.
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 5
Starter clue: B = T
BFCONZCKELUHCKZ,RFDBZTZVCBVZDJJSCO,YLKOCOBOLUDJCBBJZUJZOF,DJCBBJZNVZDBF,DKABFZWDVBRFCYFELTZVKO.
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: D = E
JCDTDSREMQCUTUQJDT,CMVRMDPDTZMMXUEXASED,HBJSJQUEHDXDRJTMKDXHKTSXSQBND,CMVRMDPDTIMMTUEXVSJNDRR.
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)
- “Always bear this in mind; and another thing too, that very little indeed is necessary for living a happy life.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=N B=S C=V D=T E=F F=D G=B H=L I=J J=M K=W L=X M=A N=Y O=I P=U Q=C R=Q S=R T=G U=E V=Z W=P X=H Y=K Z=O
- “It is far from easy to determine whether she [Nature] has proved to him a kind parent or a merciless stepmother.”— Pliny the Elder, 77, Natural History (Naturalis Historia), Book VII. Sect. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=Q C=M D=G E=H F=L G=U H=J I=Y J=A K=W L=E M=I N=Z O=X P=D Q=N R=V S=K T=P U=S V=C W=R X=F Y=B Z=T
- “It is not necessary that a man should earn his living by the sweat of his brow, unless he sweats easier than I do.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=P B=I C=W D=C E=K F=D G=O H=T I=Y J=N K=F L=Q M=S N=Z O=U P=B Q=R R=L S=E T=A U=V V=J W=X X=G Y=H Z=M
- “They say, best men are moulded out of faults, And, for the most, become much more the better for being a little bad.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Measure for Measure, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=Z C=Y D=U E=C F=I G=T H=Q I=A J=D K=E L=K M=R N=F O=N P=X Q=M R=H S=P T=S U=L V=O W=B X=W Y=J Z=V
- “This being of mine, whatever it really is, consists of a little flesh, a little breath, and the part which governs.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, II. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=T C=I D=A E=G F=H G=J H=M I=K J=L K=N L=O M=Q N=B O=S P=X Q=Z R=W S=Y T=V U=F V=R W=P X=U Y=C Z=E
- “There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=F B=U C=H D=E E=N F=X G=Q H=B I=P J=T K=Y L=M M=O N=L O=K P=V Q=C R=S S=I T=R U=A V=W W=Z X=D Y=J Z=G