Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = E
ESYEFYTKKCFOODNSQESDWDURTQS,YTKKEDRSOFHMJUSDLLSWSCODCQS.
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
Winter Cryptograms Set 9
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: T = E
FTKMMJLKMT,BFRBFTQJTMPIJDBFTKZTBFNTTERUMATXJNTKBXNTTYTM.
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: L = O
DZLOAPXWAWELWXGYFEELSXWEFUA,YXWEJLEULYNITFJLPLNNOAWWFLJ.
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: X = E
LYIEXZLMMWXBXIDTOLSIRX,IEXSXZLMMWXTDVSJGILGXDYZLGHXKTXBB.
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: K = E
UZLFKOKSRKAVKLIOK,AZJVKLIZSV;SQZKFKOKSRKAVKEUSOK,AZJVKLIVK.
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: G = O
NWGLCRGMMZQEZQWXGGIQBGWOGSRBQBAGSMPKKFQERGEZPRFDSEMYEQW.
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)
- “He who will not take cheap advice, will have to buy dear repentance.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Z B=J C=N D=A E=H F=O G=Q H=B I=F J=Y K=L L=R M=U N=K O=T P=X Q=C R=V S=E T=I U=D V=S W=P X=G Y=W Z=M
- “He is so wise, that he goes upon the ice three days before it freezes.”— Dutch proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=B B=T C=X D=N E=D F=H G=Q H=J I=P J=O K=I L=W M=S N=R O=M P=U Q=G R=A S=L T=E U=Y V=K W=V X=F Y=Z Z=C
- “Who refuses to submit to justice, must not complain of oppression.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=Z C=Q D=W E=T F=I G=B H=G I=L J=N K=Y L=O M=V N=P O=R P=F Q=D R=X S=J T=A U=C V=K W=S X=U Y=M Z=H
- “If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness.”— Confucius, 1861, The Analects (James Legge translation, 1861)Cipher key: A=X B=S C=J D=O E=H F=M G=C H=K I=T J=A K=D L=I M=L N=Q O=V P=Z Q=Y R=U S=R T=N U=G V=P W=B X=E Y=F Z=W
- “Who deceives me once, shame on him; if he deceives me twice, shame on me.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=S B=Q C=G D=R E=T F=D G=B H=J I=N J=A K=E L=O M=Z N=X O=C P=L Q=F R=V S=I T=U U=W V=M W=Y X=P Y=K Z=H
- “From snow whether cooked or pounded you will get nothing but water.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=Y B=D C=S D=B E=T F=G G=O H=J I=K J=X K=L L=M M=W N=F O=P P=I Q=E R=N S=U T=Q U=V V=Z W=R X=C Y=A Z=H