Puzzle 1
Starter clue: M = T
VAYIBBIDENPIDIMZABABWAZMKFMJMJT,FGMAZFEE,FEVFNTMKAGJZTMLAZTIDMKFMJTTLAFHJDS.
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 12
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: P = E
QPZLPTZSPUWPKZDDPLZUPUCPGTIWLUZFYPWBQCZUQWLJQPSW;ZFSAPUCWQTOYCGEFWUSWFPVAOE!
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: P = E
RPOLIGEXSIENPMLRGHDOLEEPFLELWSDHFHXFTHWJPWZPWTP,AXELGXTTPGGDXMMZDPCWHRGWHMLR.
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: H = S
RCRZ'HAQREDAYQSOVYQHRHCRZJRBYQHMKCQRGMLDMAVHXYMHXQBDRHAVHKRYCGMQHEMRGHMKCOBW.
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: H = A
VHCGEHCHCGVHPDYJVJUXZYHCHCLJZYXUIHCHTHAZYGVEXPQZJHPPIPGVHZXEHCTIGUIKVEZHCIXE.
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: L = T
SLATKQHHSDIM,KALGAJIZULCIJQNCLIAPHGIKQKQLLCSKZULCITAAMHSKMHTSGEHLCSLHPJJAPKMQL.
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 commonly do not remember that it is, after all, always the first person that is speaking.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=E B=M C=X D=N E=L F=A G=F H=K I=O J=I K=H L=P M=T N=Y O=U P=D Q=V R=Z S=G T=S U=J V=W W=B X=Q Y=C Z=R
- “We are made to exaggerate the importance of what work we do; and yet how much is not done by us!”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=Y B=F C=H D=G E=S F=N G=I H=V I=P J=K K=X L=R M=J N=Q O=U P=E Q=W R=Z S=D T=M U=T V=B W=O X=L Y=C Z=A
- “We may study the laws of matter at and for our convenience, but a successful life knows no law.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=B B=G C=K D=F E=T F=R G=S H=O I=Y J=V K=Z L=A M=L N=H O=M P=E Q=J R=W S=D T=C U=X V=Q W=N X=U Y=P Z=I
- “A man's health requires as many acres of meadow to his prospect as his farm does loads of muck.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=H B=C C=M D=T E=L F=X G=D H=S I=J J=Y K=F L=W M=O N=V O=U P=B Q=E R=A S=Q T=G U=Z V=I W=K X=P Y=R Z=N
- “Man is an animal who more than any other can adapt himself to all climates and circumstances.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=P B=K C=N D=W E=S F=X G=I H=A I=C J=O K=U L=Y M=Z N=G O=Q P=L Q=F R=J S=V T=D U=R V=M W=B X=E Y=H Z=T
- “A town is saved, not more by the righteous men in it than by the woods and swamps that surround it.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=O B=K C=H D=V E=P F=L G=M H=S I=E J=R K=N L=T M=D N=G O=C P=U Q=I R=Q S=A T=W U=Y V=Z W=F X=J Y=X Z=B