Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Z = E
OWZGZVGZCHQZHQDZKWHVGZNRXOZYHPRDFVGVYOWZHPZG-GZTXCZJHCZY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- X
- Y
- Z
Wisdom Cryptograms Set 136
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: P = E
PUPDBISPGMCIDSKFGSQ,KSVXIMJLPILYPVGPGSPTGYP,YGFPXIMJFGSQM.
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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- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: G = O
OCEGPTOYXGFEPOKKDG,JFGIDFFMPSTTIYMOJPGIKQYSOERSJTSEQQGDT.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: M = E
NPZOLRNFMTEHZZXNALKNDLAWSMYLMDX;GCWOMWCTASMTZCWZYNHNTXMA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: X = E
QLMLYTKYTKXWYTMJUYSSGX,QHGGLYAXKLXDMUXUXGHTLBMUYTQXXKMOX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: L = A
KMUCVPYTLPYCLSUTLWULHCLBTDPKMUTVYUDEKMULIHUTKPLSVQLKDWT.
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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- X
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- 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 no people who are quite so vulgar as the over-refined ones.”— Mark Twain, 1897, Following the EquatorCipher key: A=C B=Z C=N D=L E=K F=G G=R H=O I=B J=D K=W L=X M=Y N=Q O=T P=V Q=P R=U S=M T=F U=J V=A W=H X=I Y=S Z=E
- “Every one is born a king, and most people die in exile, like most kings.”— Oscar Wilde, 1893, A Woman of No ImportanceCipher key: A=H B=Y C=B D=R E=U F=K G=I H=J I=O J=T K=A L=P M=S N=Z O=C P=E Q=G R=F S=N T=X U=V V=D W=Q X=M Y=L Z=W
- “I know Sir John will go, though he was sure it would rain cats and dogs.”— Jonathan Swift, 1738, Polite Conversation, Dialogue II (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=Z C=K D=G E=N F=H G=O H=F I=U J=T K=L L=Y M=E N=P O=I P=W Q=D R=C S=A T=S U=X V=B W=Q X=J Y=R Z=M
- “A cow is a very good animal in the field; but we turn her out of a garden.”— Samuel Johnson, 1791, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Life of Johnson (Boswell). Vol. III. Chap. VIII. 1772 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=P C=U D=L E=Y F=V G=B H=G I=Q J=X K=M L=I M=E N=A O=W P=C Q=J R=S S=H T=R U=Z V=K W=T X=D Y=F Z=O
- “Who has tasted a sour apple, will have the more relish for a sweet one.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=V B=F C=Q D=M E=K F=X G=L H=I I=B J=U K=T L=H M=O N=Y O=N P=J Q=W R=Z S=P T=S U=R V=G W=D X=E Y=A Z=C
- “The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.”— Edward Gibbon, 1776, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, of the Roman Empire (1776). Chap. LXVIII (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=Y C=W D=O E=F F=M G=C H=L I=B J=U K=T L=A M=H N=J O=Q P=N Q=G R=Z S=V T=S U=E V=I W=R X=P Y=D Z=K