Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Q = A
QLQYJHVCFZVDLZOKWHJKZPFAJQSWZQFTQKKALZJJ,QLEAPQLJFAVVSZFFTAJQLDQGFZWLHHL.
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 11
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: B = N
JHBKJBKVKBNHUQDFWDZCKUDBLNIX,RSXIDEHZHXXVHGGKJBKBHDUXIDBGCKUNKXXHBIHDEHB.
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: Y = E
SOYTYFDNAFUUYTYMPYWYSCYYMYNSFMKNMAATFMBFMKUVTDSTYMKSONMAUTVHHYTYKXJSSVML.
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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- S
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- U
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: V = A
SXUJVEVYJSILRSNKLCHLPUMCIUILJVXPVIYUVOXURVXELPCXZSHVKISYNLUTVYNUKEYCTCXZ.
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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- X
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: S = E
ENZWHSQXNTSHXLENRQZIXLFNXZNEPWEQFSHXNRZCNZUSCNFSESFSHXSSELESLOCSHOSNZWHSX.
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
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- U
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: X = O
GWGHYBZZWXAPUBHXQBYPWBJGTLXOJTBGEAFXJAXXC,WXEGUBFOXLPTDLWXPTCNZXPWWABBPJWA.
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)
- “An absolutely new prospect is a great happiness, and I can still get this any afternoon.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=I B=Q C=U D=Y E=D F=T G=F H=O I=X J=S K=P L=N M=K N=M O=W P=C Q=A R=J S=G T=H U=Z V=L W=R X=V Y=B Z=E
- “We now no longer camp as for a night, but have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Y B=N C=F D=A E=V F=M G=D H=E I=H J=W K=O L=I M=J N=G O=Z P=Q Q=C R=B S=U T=K U=R V=L W=P X=T Y=X Z=S
- “There is a difference between eating and drinking for strength and from mere gluttony.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=D B=K C=W D=S E=X F=I G=Z H=M I=V J=U K=G L=Y M=N N=A O=H P=C Q=P R=Q S=T T=R U=F V=O W=B X=L Y=E Z=J
- “One may almost doubt if the wisest man has learned any thing of absolute value by living.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Q B=K C=I D=Z E=Y F=J G=P H=F I=S J=M K=B L=T M=W N=U O=R P=H Q=X R=D S=O T=V U=E V=A W=C X=N Y=L Z=G
- “Nature is a personality so vast and universal that we have never seen one of her features.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=K B=J C=H D=M E=N F=V G=C H=R I=Y J=Q K=G L=O M=B N=A O=F P=D Q=I R=L S=E T=P U=W V=Z W=U X=S Y=X Z=T
- “It is well to have some water in your neighborhood, to give buoyancy to and float the earth.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=H B=E C=D D=C E=G F=B G=I H=S I=K J=R K=J L=Y M=P N=F O=U P=A Q=M R=Q S=X T=N U=V V=Z W=T X=O Y=W Z=L