Puzzle 1
Starter clue: V = T
YSXAZFVTZVZAVNVQTNXVNYSAZUSAXNXS,ZXHARVTSFVZCSZVTRLAZXHAVNVQTSAVR-HZFVRAZUSXNXSVR-YRPPRE.
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 15
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: Z = E
GDZLFPQZBUEPZELFOCTJIZNLGJGZEBLJBGJOENQDGZB,WNGADZBZFLDZADJUEPZYUFGZFPNLEMNBZTJBPFPQXJC?
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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- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: K = E
NOKFBSEOVNBIKRNOKDAYKWNZNVDAMKARRXGKWAVWNVBDDNOKDBER,YZMAWNXKVTOARWKDBNAVSNVNOKDBE-FBIKW.
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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- U
- V
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- X
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: B = T
BWKQDXTBOMPHPBJTKEMBWKTDBDXKQENFPDBPBWKAXDYWNOKDPQBWKI,HPDBPWTIZWPDNTOKOBWKIQPDBWKINDSKB.
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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- T
- U
- V
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- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: M = O
BVWFCSNWMFMWQXOMLTNGMLFCUVWEBVQOEFCEWCEB,ISF,GMLVNXBIMQMGFCEN,CUOMLTNGMLFCUVWEBVQOEFCMSFCEB.
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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- V
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: O = S
RXROMJXMUVUOOESFXNEXEGEMONJCQHUESMNROQRARMPWFXNUODUEXJBNROWSJD,CMQUOONUODUEXOUEORUSXNEMRHJ.
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)
- “Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitches to-day to save nine to-morrow.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=S B=F C=K D=P E=W F=Y G=B H=D I=J J=Z K=Q L=U M=X N=I O=L P=R Q=C R=O S=E T=H U=V V=T W=G X=N Y=M Z=A
- “The singer can easily move us to tears or to laughter, but where is he who can excite in us a pure morning joy?”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=W B=R C=Y D=H E=A F=I G=T H=Z I=V J=O K=Q L=S M=P N=U O=L P=N Q=G R=F S=K T=M U=C V=D W=B X=J Y=X Z=E
- “The man who takes the liberty to live is superior to all the laws, by virtue of his relation to the law-maker.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1862, WalkingCipher key: A=I B=A C=G D=L E=W F=M G=P H=X I=K J=C K=E L=Q M=V N=T O=H P=J Q=D R=S S=N T=F U=Z V=O W=R X=U Y=B Z=Y
- “The fruits do not yield their true flavor to the purchaser of them, nor to him who raises them for the market.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=P B=T C=B D=R E=L F=V G=Z H=N I=M J=Y K=E L=Q M=D N=A O=S P=O Q=F R=J S=K T=I U=G V=X W=H X=U Y=C Z=W
- “Man thus not only works for the animal within him, but, for a symbol of this, he works for the animal without him.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=J B=M C=H D=V E=I F=T G=F H=C I=B J=P K=D L=R M=O N=S O=W P=G Q=L R=Z S=U T=K U=E V=A W=N X=Y Y=Q Z=X
- “It is not necessary that a man should earn his living by the sweat of his brow, unless he sweats easier than I do.”— Henry David Thoreau, 1854, WaldenCipher key: A=V B=F C=U D=W E=A F=Y G=M H=D I=P J=O K=Z L=K M=N N=H O=S P=G Q=L R=I S=R T=J U=E V=C W=B X=T Y=X Z=Q