Puzzle 1
Starter clue: I = E
OIEIBWAWSUDEIBOJIOPXDJJIOXINOWIBSNFQAXIFFDHSEDBSLZI,ODBIEIBRSFFNXXIFFFDXDJQZIPI.
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 16
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: B = A
DBNZAUQKNWUQDFBADBNQMDMXBNWMZLWN,BDENZADKNMBNWMZLWNBLBQD,BKQFUTUFMGUKOBNUABDELBK.
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: D = A
JGANJGAVKVSJGPTDPYDMVLKQBNJBOJAIQEMYQESVEAQNEXGVEQNKDBTPDY,QBEKABDEQJBDPDBTPJNDP.
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: D = E
XWDQEVYBDLXSWKNWWQRLFXUFSDEXFEDQNWBIFSLUEQNXKND,KBQISDTTCFYPXSKTTJQKTXFEDQNWIFYER.
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: Z = E
IZLFBZDLBZYPVQZPO,HRZKEZPVPLHKEPBZDTPEETZVHFIFHN,HRZOZIZEDTHRZZPOHR,HRZXPVUJZDTFHPEN.
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: Y = E
MJXOROCCJLCMYEYGBOQYLCLTOECJLKWFEOYDYLCLSPKYELH?OCORTYQLPRYMYLEYKBCCJYUYERBKOKDBHDYW.
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)
- “Never did a government commence under auspices so favorable, nor ever was success so complete.”— James Monroe, 1817, First Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=I B=R C=Z D=O E=V F=S G=H H=F I=E J=M K=X L=B M=Y N=U O=N P=T Q=P R=W S=A T=K U=G V=J W=D X=C Y=Q Z=L
- “Nature is the incarnation of a thought, and turns to a thought again, as ice becomes water and gas.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844, Essays: Second SeriesCipher key: A=R B=A C=J D=N E=D F=C G=M H=X I=Q J=V K=S L=G M=O N=T O=W P=L Q=I R=P S=K T=B U=E V=Y W=H X=F Y=Z Z=U
- “Our course should always be in conformity with strict justice and law, international and local.”— Ulysses S. Grant, 1869, First Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=R B=N C=Q D=A E=T F=P G=U H=G I=M J=O K=E L=B M=Y N=C O=F P=L Q=I R=Z S=H T=D U=K V=S W=X X=J Y=W Z=V
- “The argument which has not power to reach my own practice, I may well doubt will fail to reach yours.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=Q B=M C=D D=E E=R F=O G=V H=Z I=Y J=F K=I L=N M=K N=C O=X P=B Q=A R=S S=W T=L U=P V=G W=H X=T Y=U Z=J
- “Venice once was dear, The pleasant place of all festivity, The revel of the earth, the masque of Italy.”— Lord Byron, 1818, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto IV, Stanza 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=C C=G D=O E=L F=I G=K H=T I=V J=U K=P L=N M=X N=Y O=R P=A Q=D R=H S=Z T=F U=Q V=S W=J X=M Y=W Z=E
- “Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved.”— Mark Twain, 1894, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead WilsonCipher key: A=Z B=O C=T D=V E=R F=G G=J H=L I=M J=H K=N L=A M=W N=X O=I P=U Q=C R=S S=F T=B U=P V=K W=D X=Y Y=E Z=Q