Puzzle 1
Starter clue: P = E
WNPFPIFPEPHPFIKLMMUQFMWPBWRMYEILIRYEWWPDQWIWRMYE,SXWWNPEXFPEWREBMCIFURBP.
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 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: S = E
WESCSXYIONXMSCROAMUCYQYJRLSRMILGCYTO,FIXCOTMPAYCSJYZS,TMPAYCSXSOSCPLSCPEJYTO.
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: Z = E
ETRZZRZQNJYLOATLZZYQ,KMOWZSOANRITPZ;OYVZZYPAJYL'UPZLUMQZ,KMOQZUZQRZOANFMCEJZLO.
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
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- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: N = E
YMFINHGAMYAYMILQMIYGLJQPYZNPGLNHGNEQNUGIUMYGWNTALRZPHNMTDIHGAQNPYKMTGWNCPX.
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: J = E
JAPHQHWGJCHBIFPNIDBJNXMPQGBXHOHBIJODEJHQQMPODWIJOBMPONJLDIXTMOJDKWBMPWIODJN.
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: Q = E
AQNSFQZQQEPLYDNQYDMOQYPQHDDNQIQSZCUGANXHNKMFQYZIQZDHSZUQSESODQEDMNLISZCQYFXHQ.
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)
- “There are several good protections against temptations, but the surest is cowardice.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=F B=C C=W D=M E=S F=R G=K H=V I=A J=X K=L L=G M=O N=H O=J P=E Q=P R=I S=B T=Y U=D V=Z W=T X=U Y=N Z=Q
- “A generous friendship no cold medium knows, Burns with one love, with one resentment glows.”— Alexander Pope, 1720, The Iliad of Homer (Pope's translation), Book IX. Line 725 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=Y C=N D=Z E=G F=B G=K H=X I=U J=L K=Q L=M M=I N=F O=S P=T Q=C R=D S=E T=W U=P V=J W=A X=R Y=O Z=V
- “Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, HamletCipher key: A=H B=P C=D D=X E=G F=J G=Z H=L I=O J=M K=B L=N M=U N=Y O=T P=C Q=R R=V S=W T=I U=S V=K W=F X=Q Y=A Z=E
- “No question in our country can be at rest except upon the firm base of justice and of the law.”— Benjamin Harrison, 1889, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=I B=G C=L D=J E=X F=Q G=T H=S I=U J=Y K=D L=R M=O N=E O=K P=A Q=C R=M S=V T=F U=P V=Z W=H X=W Y=N Z=B
- “Equal and exact justice should characterize all our intercourse with foreign countries.”— James K. Polk, 1845, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=Q B=C C=X D=I E=Z F=J G=D H=A I=T J=E K=G L=W M=O N=S O=R P=U Q=L R=V S=B T=F U=Y V=K W=N X=H Y=M Z=P
- “We have need further to perfect the means by which Government can be adapted to human service.”— Herbert Hoover, 1929, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=W B=J C=S D=T E=D F=V G=Y H=C I=M J=K K=G L=U M=O N=H O=P P=F Q=E R=X S=A T=Q U=B V=L W=Z X=I Y=R Z=N