Puzzle 1
Starter clue: S = E
TRFKZFIRSZRFXSFDBBPIBHFLSHSHSZZMIRFWSQGSZTSWASIBHFLSHSOFK.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Wisdom Cryptograms Set 150
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: A = L
KJAALTKPAAETQSLTH,LTZMQIDJTBPAAETQYJJ,GBETQHTQAIAGRJGLFJPXJ.
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: C = T
CSYJYBCKAAJYLEKQBCRLRJCKZIEDKCCSYLEQI-SYEOYOLRQBCYJRZCSYGKC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: T = N
FTOFWGUTFTMEJJQWVUWUUEUQGJWGXTQ,GVUMZXNQFXTTXFXQJDGVUWGNXTQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: U = T
XFMUAHHUPDUMUHGVSMUVUHZMJVYVQVGWV,MGYMUMGHUFVOUHRVUDGUFVQHV?
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: G = E
QJTGZXMDFKZLQCOARGRZFFTGBAGZFGF,EOMGHROXDHSZFQZXEAGMCXGMZDH.
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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- R
- S
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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)
- “I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act IV. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=O C=J D=F E=Q F=A G=P H=M I=T J=Z K=D L=K M=Y N=W O=S P=L Q=X R=H S=E T=I U=G V=B W=N X=V Y=U Z=R
- “Tell not all you know, nor judge of all you see, if you would live in peace.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=L B=F C=B D=G E=Y F=P G=I H=W I=D J=E K=T L=N M=J N=Q O=X P=A Q=U R=V S=K T=O U=Z V=H W=M X=C Y=S Z=R
- “There still remains to mortify a wit the many-headed monster of the pit.”— Alexander Pope, 1738, Imitations of Horace, Satires, Epistles, and Odes of Horace. Epistle I. Book II. Line 304 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=S C=T D=W E=A F=Z G=P H=X I=Y J=R K=I L=M M=K N=U O=D P=Q Q=N R=O S=H T=B U=J V=G W=V X=C Y=E Z=F
- “In listening mood she seemed to stand, The guardian Naiad of the strand.”— Sir Walter Scott, 1810, The Lady of the Lake, Canto I. Stanza 17 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=W C=Z D=F E=M F=I G=T H=X I=Y J=O K=V L=Q M=G N=R O=L P=J Q=D R=K S=P T=N U=E V=H W=S X=A Y=C Z=U
- “What boots it at one gate to make defence, And at another to let in the foe?”— John Milton, 1671, Samson Agonistes, Line 560 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=Y C=P D=I E=Q F=H G=N H=O I=J J=K K=U L=V M=A N=Z O=R P=S Q=F R=L S=G T=X U=T V=E W=C X=W Y=D Z=M
- “My heart is wax moulded as she pleases, but enduring as marble to retain.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1613, La Gitanilla (Exemplary Novels), The Little Gypsy (La Gitanilla) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=P C=O D=I E=B F=S G=E H=N I=K J=Y K=W L=X M=T N=C O=U P=Q Q=M R=D S=G T=H U=F V=Z W=V X=R Y=J Z=A