Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Z = E
SZXBOJUTGALZABGATTAGXBVJXJZO,XIZV,DZCAGZXIZZLJSEMKOWAUZ.
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
Henry David Thoreau Cryptograms Set 6
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: T = E
FZFBTSPDRTZFLMPIFWT'PUQPDOTFJDSYJZFLMTNWGTPPSHTYTFDJGT.
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: O = E
WQOCHPOGQHNQAOSXDUHFOUSJDOYUDJUFFRNNOFFPRCHFZRWLSOMHSJ.
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: U = E
HDULVPMFTFKRYRYJSUYHPRY'LHDFQZDHMUJFPULRPFGUNYPRY'LLCUUJD.
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: W = E
TPWOTWHPLYGQHJCGGSWEFLTCOEMPCGQFWO,TWDFWDGFWDQVGCJJGWAWO.
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: J = E
MJLGJLZCFLBUDJKMBDNLQJGJSJPPBZPJRODNJEPRYJRUMNBZNMJPBAJ.
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)
- “Let us improve our opportunities, then, before the evil days come.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=O B=U C=F D=B E=D F=J G=R H=Z I=H J=I K=Y L=V M=A N=G O=S P=W Q=K R=X S=L T=P U=M V=N W=C X=T Y=Q Z=E
- “A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=J B=K C=Q D=T E=G F=A G=R H=V I=C J=U K=W L=N M=D N=X O=B P=S Q=O R=H S=I T=E U=M V=Z W=P X=Y Y=F Z=L
- “The life which men praise and regard as successful is but one kind.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=M B=Q C=L D=R E=J F=S G=W H=I I=V J=D K=Y L=O M=K N=C O=E P=F Q=H R=U S=N T=Z U=A V=X W=T X=P Y=G Z=B
- “The symbol of an ancient man's thought becomes a modern man's speech.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Q B=W C=P D=H E=V F=O G=D H=T I=J J=C K=F L=S M=B N=R O=X P=M Q=U R=A S=I T=L U=E V=Y W=K X=Z Y=N Z=G
- “When we should still be growing children, we are already little men.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=M B=V C=I D=A E=G F=R G=L H=S I=K J=T K=X L=O M=C N=Z O=N P=H Q=D R=Q S=B T=W U=P V=Y W=E X=J Y=U Z=F
- “We are acquainted with a mere pellicle of the globe on which we live.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=V B=I C=Q D=T E=G F=U G=R H=J I=K J=E K=D L=A M=W N=H O=F P=L Q=M R=O S=P T=X U=N V=Z W=S X=Y Y=B Z=C