Puzzle 1
Starter clue: O = E
KHNCJQRCUNCJYDOFHVJBRCBBEOOROAN,HCYOMOYNMKWBCYNPTKROLNCJUKFFTFDCDJHHOYTLOHOTB.
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 2
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: R = E
PQRDZRKRJDUYTGPGMPZUUBWPUPQRREERDPUEDUYTNMRSRMRJCO,GMSSURWMUPJRAHNJRPUUYHDQEJUYNMSNKNSHGZW.
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: I = E
PEEJIOHPOTIIFNIFPHFGHTCNISIQVGHZOKYIS,QYFCNPFOZOIHPOTIIGTFNITFSPFIWVZYFZACNGHNMGHFZSVGTIMZEMIR.
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: Q = E
WEQJQRJQMFWZFJQWERMXGUQZLYGPRHMFWQY,BQWWEQPFZDGMRWGFMYFXWEQYQXGUQKGUQJGYQWFZFJQZQHFVGQYWERMPRMQUQJDQEQRJV.
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: R = E
GAVAXMRKREXXNRXEZXLZQINLZNNEWRSELVRGDABAVRWLZXAMD,YBXCRXDABMORXNAGQYRMRSBCEXRGYDXNRLVPLVLXRWEMLRXDAPZLMZBOQXEVZRQ.
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)
- “If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=M B=T C=O D=S E=H F=L G=P H=F I=X J=U K=I L=D M=V N=Y O=E P=G Q=K R=N S=Z T=A U=W V=B W=C X=J Y=R Z=Q
- “The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=Q B=K C=G D=C E=F F=Z G=A H=U I=J J=R K=V L=P M=N N=I O=Y P=T Q=H R=E S=D T=B U=O V=X W=S X=W Y=M Z=L
- “All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=F B=J C=W D=K E=L F=T G=I H=C I=E J=M K=Q L=X M=V N=H O=N P=A Q=B R=D S=R T=S U=Z V=Y W=G X=P Y=U Z=O
- “There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=J B=Y C=Z D=B E=H F=O G=I H=L I=X J=R K=G L=U M=N N=K O=Q P=C Q=E R=A S=P T=W U=V V=D W=T X=F Y=S Z=M
- “Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.”— Sun Tzu, 1910, The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910)Cipher key: A=O B=U C=L D=Y E=A F=J G=D H=Q I=W J=K K=P L=I M=R N=H O=M P=F Q=S R=E S=G T=Z U=X V=N W=V X=T Y=B Z=C