Puzzle 1
Starter clue: H = E
LHXIMFNZNOUHODCNNPIHCYHXMVPIHLMQNZODCDIMFQ;CJ,ODCNNPIHLMQNZXMVPIHCYHX.
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 10
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
XGTTEGJYD,XJDJKTTAXTVX,PVJOYUYVPHDJZVF,PVFXGTOTYVYDXGTKPUYEPVFEGPOKJIYX.
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: D = O
PHPGHDGDOAXGDUXDTHZXIEDKOXUGDTOPTX,LDHDLOMHZXDEXHPVCOOM,KJHIECVHPVCOOM.
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: I = E
PCPMIQKCA'MILI;XTTJPZDPZCTYAPNACAIOIATXWIKFIQMRKIMCAIWIUCATHAPMTYZZQCRKI.
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: Z = E
AEZMIIOZFCPAPGIURPNZUQEDYQZXECQEXCJJZFNJDCYIRUHCUDQJZPDYTUZKZDJYZXIYZP.
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: N = E
ONSXLNZSEFNOXZSXAZQN,TGEEFNJCNLNOXHNWNKNLXAZSDLHNLEFXEEFNJOZRFETNKXLZDGW.
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)
- “We should live in all the ages of the world in an hour; ay, in all the worlds of the ages.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=P B=Q C=A D=N E=M F=U G=X H=E I=H J=Y K=J L=W M=O N=L O=I P=T Q=R R=Z S=K T=B U=V V=F W=C X=S Y=G Z=D
- “The echo is, to some extent, an original sound, and therein is the magic and charm of it.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=X B=V C=P D=S E=C F=D G=H H=L I=F J=O K=M L=J M=W N=K O=R P=A Q=B R=Z S=Q T=E U=G V=N W=Y X=T Y=I Z=U
- “It is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=V B=G C=A D=O E=R F=K G=S H=T I=P J=U K=B L=N M=Y N=J O=L P=I Q=W R=D S=Q T=F U=M V=C W=Z X=E Y=X Z=H
- “It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=H B=Z C=T D=G E=X F=M G=Q H=F I=E J=K K=R L=Y M=S N=C O=B P=I Q=A R=U S=V T=O U=P V=J W=D X=L Y=W Z=N
- “The book exists for us perchance which will explain our miracles and reveal new ones.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=T B=Z C=I D=A E=H F=X G=F H=M I=O J=L K=V L=Q M=B N=P O=K P=S Q=C R=U S=J T=D U=R V=G W=Y X=W Y=N Z=E
- “Men are in the main alike, but they were made several in order that they might be various.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=L B=X C=W D=O E=T F=H G=U H=D I=F J=Y K=V L=R M=C N=E O=M P=Q Q=K R=G S=N T=B U=P V=Z W=S X=A Y=J Z=I