Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = T
GENSFUNJGKASGENFASFUNJGPNKSLAGLNKJELGENUFAGTUA.
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
Sun Tzu Cryptograms Set 1
5 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 = A
WPMNMHNMDPVNWBHLDHSBTVSI;WPMZVVSPHDAWDJMNAVBDVKUHSASIHSBUHOASI.
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
XCOBJMRBYRTXGDTHGDTTRTVORBHOBJHPTZC,OBJYXZZPJKKJVWXRTITHOWNGGZT.
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: M = T
BMBCPJZMMOEMBQEMQMRBCAQBEMMRZMBWZEIQTOCOOSRQBCDBLODJMQSBEQTDQCO.
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: D = E
MFDZDEKDMWTDZTIVIDXDLGKWGEVWTMX,VIOTIIGMWDMMTIUMFDKTUFMAGADIMZWTJ.
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 (5 solutions)
- “The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=N B=X C=W D=B E=H F=I G=T H=Q I=K J=C K=A L=O M=J N=E O=G P=L Q=Z R=Y S=D T=U U=R V=F W=V X=P Y=S Z=M
- “There are short days and long; the moon has its periods of waning and waxing.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=I B=D C=B D=S E=K F=U G=C H=A I=G J=P K=F L=Y M=E N=R O=X P=H Q=V R=Z S=N T=L U=W V=O W=T X=Q Y=J Z=M
- “If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=G B=O C=F D=H E=J F=Q G=T H=R I=V J=U K=C L=X M=K N=A O=Y P=S Q=Z R=N S=P T=E U=D V=M W=B X=I Y=W Z=L
- “It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=P B=I C=S D=L E=N F=M G=Z H=U I=F J=Y K=J L=K M=T N=G O=E P=B Q=O R=H S=W T=R U=V V=X W=C X=D Y=Q Z=A
- “The secret lies in an eye for locality, and in not letting the right moment slip.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=M B=Q C=W D=E E=C F=H G=O H=V I=N J=P K=R L=F M=T N=U O=D P=B Q=J R=Z S=X T=I U=G V=A W=L X=Y Y=K Z=S