Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Z = E
ACWMZJZVYWXZIYZFBDDLECVOIMOWFI,YWXZIMCZYBDDLEOMOKZFI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Wisdom Cryptograms Set 113
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: R = I
GDIMIRYZMIKGKLRWRGBRVSVQTRVZDQTGQUQVUIKWQVI'YKLRWRGB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: J = O
OJMHUOPJTDSURJTLSYJYRSGUYST,WMYOJMDUCCJYHUXSREHVTECX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: F = T
ZEMFQNCKUSG,UTZAUFFGIUITMIY;ZEMFQNCFMVG,ZUFEMIUANIEMIY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: A = N
WDOEIGJAGAQGEAJIISOCJPOJBRJAKOUEMIGJAMCJAQQOAIHOCOA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: B = E
WBZHKDGDKXNYJXXWZPHBXO,VJGGWBSUJHBDOYJXXKBHHZKDGWBLH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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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)
- “Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens.”— Daniel Webster, 1820, Speech at Plymouth, Dec. 22, 1820. Vol. I. p. 44 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=G C=H D=O E=C F=N G=P H=F I=S J=V K=Z L=D M=T N=Y O=I P=U Q=L R=X S=Q T=B U=J V=R W=A X=K Y=M Z=E
- “There is great ability in knowing how to conceal one's ability.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1665, Maximes, 245 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=Y C=U D=H E=Q F=M G=T H=F I=E J=V K=A L=B M=R N=P O=X P=D Q=O R=I S=K T=W U=C V=N W=L X=Z Y=S Z=G
- “You may force a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=G B=J C=N D=C E=I F=V G=W H=M I=Z J=O K=L L=S M=U N=Q O=Y P=F Q=P R=H S=E T=R U=A V=D W=B X=K Y=T Z=X
- “What you give, is written in sand; what you take, with an iron hand.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=Z C=U D=L E=H F=T G=E H=P I=N J=F K=G L=X M=A N=O O=J P=Q Q=Y R=C S=V T=S U=I V=K W=M X=B Y=D Z=W
- “Questioning is not the mode of conversation among gentlemen.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VI. Chap. IV. 1776 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=F C=M D=U E=S F=K G=I H=L I=T J=O K=V L=X M=A N=Y O=E P=D Q=G R=C S=H T=J U=R V=Z W=Q X=P Y=W Z=B
- “He is not only dull himself, but the cause of dullness in others.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. VIII. Chap. V. 1784 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=E C=J D=O E=X F=G G=T H=S I=P J=U K=N L=R M=V N=Y O=F P=M Q=K R=Z S=C T=W U=A V=B W=H X=L Y=D Z=I