Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = O
FDXLMIRKVZHXHTHXDTHYVDIKQDHMKTUKQIRDSRKGSDKURGMZHGVWSQHUIKQJQKUDMMGKT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- N
- O
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Winter 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: K = N
CFGIFJKYWBZWCIRSISLIX,FKARKIFJKFZLKCSLFICLY,WKMFHWBFKWIFJKGJYMWKMUWSSRK.
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 3
Starter clue: I = T
KZFTFBHGQOAJJSJKDFISGKTHSAZIQIGSVFNTSBIQZBQISH,EQOAJBQIIGKHYSKBMOHIKDS?
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: P = E
GAPOPQXZWJQHP,GAMGVWGAXWHWJPOMSMZDQGAXAMSP,MXGWIPRWCZVRMKXPMZVYPORQVQWCX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: H = E
CVQHZIHKDHWJHTZFDHZKDHWQYW,CVSHYKW!BMYFDMCMAHIKDTKJOIKBVYIKSHFVIHTZGEMMG.
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 6
Starter clue: P = E
MUPOPAMECRAUTBPTAGQLPECGPKBPKAQMHQYRA,PAGPLQTDDHXUPYXPTKPHERYNTYIQYDEBP.
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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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 must hold a man amenable to reason for the choice of his daily craft or profession.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=X B=J C=Q D=E E=Z F=W G=I H=A I=T J=P K=O L=U M=S N=K O=V P=G Q=R R=H S=C T=N U=F V=L W=Y X=M Y=B Z=D
- “Fiction lags after truth, invention is unfruitful, and imagination cold and barren.”— Edmund Burke, 1775, Speech on Conciliation with America, Speech on the Conciliation of America. Vol. II. p. 116 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=G C=F D=K E=W F=I G=C H=M I=T J=O K=N L=U M=D N=X O=J P=Q Q=Z R=E S=R T=Y U=B V=P W=A X=H Y=L Z=S
- “If a man should dedicate himself to the payment of notes, would not this be injustice?”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=L B=N C=X D=C E=W F=A G=H H=S I=T J=D K=I L=Z M=J N=Y O=U P=R Q=O R=G S=E T=M U=K V=P W=V X=Q Y=B Z=F
- “There is no vice, that doth so cover a man with shame, as to be found false and perfidious.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=H B=K C=U D=W E=Q F=J G=T H=C I=B J=V K=L L=X M=A N=G O=R P=E Q=I R=F S=M T=Z U=Y V=D W=O X=S Y=P Z=N
- “License they mean when they cry, Liberty! For who loves that must first be wise and good.”— John Milton, 1673, On the Detraction which followed upon my writing certain Treatises, which followed upon my writing certain Treatises (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=F C=L D=H E=G F=W G=D H=E I=S J=M K=T L=X M=O N=K O=U P=J Q=C R=Q S=B T=A U=P V=I W=Y X=Z Y=R Z=N
- “The best of us have a spice of perversity in us, especially when we are young and in love.”— Louisa May Alcott, 1868, Little WomenCipher key: A=S B=V C=F D=L E=O F=M G=P H=Y I=D J=K K=R L=C M=T N=G O=B P=E Q=I R=U S=X T=A U=H V=J W=Z X=W Y=N Z=Q