Puzzle 1
Starter clue: D = O
PJQDAUPROVDSOQ,ZKOSYQDAIZOGJTPLBPL,FSYYDSDLVOIOGQFNFSYDSPLLDLBOV.
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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- X
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Henry David Thoreau Cryptograms Set 9
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 = T
TVTEQHIIENLEFFALNGLXAPUHGLNMPLNOHEANXLQUTLHGJFGLONMUHGNQEWXILXMF.
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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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = E
JLTGTRZZQOTJLRIWZTGSRETRIJLTLCXRJQAZTTHRIWCAJTGCECDDLRFLDTOCBQXTB.
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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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: N = E
GVNBUTCECY,PVEKVEAGVNBUAGBNBUTDIHNANDAUCUQGVNSDL,EAGVNDPDZNCECYVUJT.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: B = T
TBTLAGBOAGPXYBGNOTAWPLBJTGPL;LGRJOBYORABL.UYRBRJOVGPTAWPLBJTGPLRNGPB?
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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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: M = E
SFMCVMPMSRXSSJWMFWMHSDQJYMNSUMNMNSUTYQMOITFTNSFDNMFOTWIVXITWOIMNSSF.
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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- R
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- T
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- X
- Y
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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)
- “If you give money, spend yourself with it, and do not merely abandon it to them.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=U B=H C=J D=O E=X F=A G=L H=Q I=R J=F K=P L=T M=C N=B O=E P=I Q=Y R=V S=N T=W U=G V=M W=K X=Z Y=D Z=S
- “A man will not need to study history to find out what is best for his own culture.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=D B=Q C=P D=K E=N F=E G=S H=I I=L J=B K=G L=T M=R N=O O=F P=Y Q=W R=V S=Z T=A U=H V=M W=C X=U Y=J Z=X
- “There is something servile in the habit of seeking after a law which we may obey.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=F B=Y C=A D=W E=L F=C G=R H=K I=N J=T K=P L=H M=X N=D O=M P=Q Q=O R=I S=V T=E U=Z V=J W=G X=B Y=U Z=S
- “The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=S B=M C=N D=A E=I F=P G=T H=L I=B J=U K=C L=Y M=J N=E O=X P=W Q=F R=Q S=D T=R U=O V=H W=Z X=V Y=G Z=K
- “It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?”— Henry David Thoreau, 1857, Letter to H. G. O. Blake, November 16, 1857, in Familiar LettersCipher key: A=N B=T C=L D=C E=F F=J G=O H=Q I=X J=R K=M L=S M=Z N=B O=E P=U Q=P R=A S=K T=I U=W V=Y W=D X=G Y=H Z=V
- “One piece of good sense would be more memorable than a monument as high as the moon.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=X B=Q C=P D=U E=V F=N G=Z H=W I=H J=D K=Y L=K M=E N=M O=T P=C Q=L R=F S=O T=A U=R V=I W=S X=G Y=B Z=J