Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = E
JXLVLHKCZPFOMBALRLVBNBJVNAS,CLFMKBLALRLVBNBJVNASZGLAJVLAFXLWPAJXLXLMVJBNIJXLHLNHZLMBANO.
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
William McKinley Cryptograms Set 3
5 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: A = E
HCAXNAEJHSLHCAISUANBPABH,HCAJBHAINJHRSLJHMXVNNABXR,QBEHCAJBUJSWQZJWJHRSLJHMSZWJIQHJSBMPVMHZAYNAMANUAE.
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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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: L = E
SUFQVLFCWBGTLDWUSLJLWIFQBKVHUCKQUDKBQCUKBTCKQLWLFQBKVHBQWCUQCFSCFQPLLDDUWQQULOQLKVURWDUWLCZKNUSSLWNL.
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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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: D = E
QADVXGODKCSBSQADEQTJZZXDHWGSBSNJEQTBGXVDCVXDOGSCSXWHDADXNHWJSTDXGMDNDSNDGPCTGSNOCSEQGSQGNPGSODBSGOABDPDIDSQ.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: N = E
ENDFGNFYYNVMNHFMUSPMMDNLSALXAAZNIMJLEDXYDYFAAPLJUMDNPMNUINPMXIMNBUXMQJLVSUVJPNFIHMDNNONUYXPNJLMDNDXBDNPMEXPHJZ.
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 (5 solutions)
- “The Republic was never so strong, because never so strongly entrenched in the hearts of the people as now.”— William McKinley, 1900, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=N B=S C=B D=K E=J F=C G=Y H=P I=F J=T K=U L=E M=A N=O O=W P=I Q=Z R=V S=G T=X U=Q V=R W=D X=H Y=M Z=L
- “The credit of the Government, the integrity of its currency, and the inviolability of its obligations must be preserved.”— William McKinley, 1897, First Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=E B=N C=H D=Q E=D F=J G=K H=T I=G J=I K=Z L=F M=S N=R O=X P=M Q=A R=Y S=O T=W U=V V=U W=L X=C Y=P Z=B
- “Most desirable from every standpoint of national interest and patriotism is the effort to extend our foreign commerce.”— William McKinley, 1897, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=Z B=A C=I D=F E=Q F=S G=B H=P I=Y J=V K=N L=E M=K N=C O=X P=H Q=T R=U S=M T=L U=O V=D W=R X=J Y=W Z=G
- “The place won in the struggle by an industrial people can only be held by unrelaxed endeavor and constant advance in achievement.”— William McKinley, 1899, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=H B=I C=O D=E E=S F=K G=A H=B I=M J=U K=W L=F M=X N=D O=C P=V Q=T R=J S=N T=R U=Z V=P W=Y X=L Y=Q Z=G
- “We have accepted a trust the fulfillment of which calls for the sternest integrity of purpose and the exercise of the highest wisdom.”— William McKinley, 1899, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=L B=G C=J D=H E=W F=A G=V H=D I=N J=O K=Z L=F M=T N=E O=X P=S Q=Y R=B S=U T=K U=R V=P W=Q X=I Y=C Z=M