Puzzle 1
Starter clue: C = E
CPCMGUBWEOJCKWDTYBCLIMEOSKSWD,YITINCCVYCDY,SDOEIPCTYITYSGIAYOIIMT,CPCDWDLCYSDOUIEO.
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 14
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: J = E
NZJEJUWVEUOZNDVK;QPNDJVEJRJEKAUVQAJHEGFZJJBAJWWCJWWVCBWNPXUBUNKNGNVSJNZJDEGCOGCJ.
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: G = E
CQGBITJFIZCQGWTGDCMIGCFQDPGUGPGTXGCAGGUTGDHAXKDUJNUH,ZITIUYXWTGDCMIGCFSDUTGDHCQGK.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: K = E
FVQSQEAYKIEYMHKKDDQZKGFMWWFIZYSDQEFYEI,DKLWQDIFMFICKZQXIKWKWKQLIQAFVVKLKEMALXSSKL.
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
- V
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: P = A
XMRSWQQPTRWCXMRDQPBRXUEMWBMXMRHUPNCXRLN,PCUHXUIRGDPLCWULUIXMRMWTMEPO,PCPQPVRUIPHWSRH.
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: P = A
MGWFPSTGVGPOPRMNPUUXAPCQZVBGCOZPBFTCMGUPDVBVSCMCOOVBPBWMGPMWLWBXSWCEGDVBRPSAVCSMMVGCF.
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)
- “Every child begins the world again, to some extent, and loves to stay out doors, even in wet and cold.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=U B=H C=E D=N E=L F=Q G=Y H=F I=O J=B K=G L=W M=R N=M O=D P=V Q=Z R=P S=A T=S U=C V=X W=I X=J Y=T Z=K
- “There is a right way; but we are very liable from heedlessness and stupidity to take the wrong one.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=L B=D C=N D=W E=R F=M G=O H=F I=C J=E K=Y L=Z M=Q N=T O=G P=U Q=B R=V S=K T=J U=I V=A W=S X=P Y=X Z=H
- “The works of the great poets have never yet been read by mankind, for only great poets can read them.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=B B=W C=T D=A E=U F=S G=E H=D I=O J=K K=M L=Z M=P N=I O=J P=V Q=H R=Q S=C T=R U=N V=X W=G X=Y Y=L Z=F
- “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=D B=Q C=B D=P E=N F=I G=W H=K I=S J=L K=E L=R M=T N=X O=Y P=Z Q=A R=J S=M T=V U=G V=F W=H X=U Y=O Z=C
- “The village is the place to which the roads tend, a sort of expansion of the highway, as a lake of a river.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=U B=C C=S D=P E=W F=Z G=X H=R I=F J=M K=Q L=N M=H N=D O=Y P=A Q=L R=E S=V T=G U=O V=K W=I X=T Y=J Z=B
- “The man who has actually paid for his farm with labor on it is so rare that every neighbor can point to him.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=P B=R C=I D=B E=G F=M G=H H=Z I=X J=K K=J L=V M=T N=U O=S P=A Q=D R=C S=N T=W U=L V=O W=E X=Y Y=Q Z=F