Puzzle 1
Starter clue: O = A
EVPXPMQSNZLVOHFOXLVPJCBOBJCB,OBJZEHHEPMVOHPIONEPJWXPPJCFOBJVQFOBZET.
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
Wisdom Cryptograms Set 180
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 = T
FAFOHCYVDJNZOANDCAGUDJJFDOXFAUAUDVJDCA,AUDEAUJNXAUDOANYDOCAENZJUDCH.
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: L = T
TLTYGQLLQNLVUQFBQFBQYYQUOWXTUUQH,LIFWLVFLLQJSLLVKFNNCTLEIQWTLTYXOUU.
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
SJMCKDPXJDTUJWEDMNHWKRDTBWKHPUCWG,KMTXJMLRJXMNXDKHDTJWEEPKDUUZDXTWG.
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: B = O
QGAQBRGVXVQGNBDVYGRDJIBTQJXXQBCRIGMXJXXBBTDOVGMOBMPGIVBPDMMFVQGPBA.
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: A = O
NKELRAZVFKVJAX,IAKID;NGDAZUDGRAZYQVQKYDQQTCKVVAYYDQXNEGZSCTQJAPQVRAZ.
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)
- “The Republic has marched on and on, and its step has exalted freedom and humanity.”— William McKinley, 1901, Second Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=J B=N C=O D=K E=T F=M G=Q H=S I=X J=D K=G L=C M=P N=L O=A P=E Q=U R=W S=B T=Y U=Z V=H W=F X=R Y=V Z=I
- “It is dangerous to eat cherries with the great, they throw the stones at your head.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=M C=A D=E E=Y F=I G=C H=D I=X J=R K=Q L=P M=B N=O O=S P=F Q=V R=L S=K T=J U=H V=G W=Z X=W Y=N Z=U
- “It is better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to attempt to carry it when it is full.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=V C=Y D=J E=W F=A G=B H=D I=H J=M K=C L=T M=G N=R O=U P=K Q=E R=Z S=P T=I U=L V=O W=N X=F Y=S Z=Q
- “Whom neither shape of danger can dismay, Nor thought of tender happiness betray.”— William Wordsworth, 1807, Poems in Two Volumes, Character of the Happy Warrior (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=C C=M D=E E=P F=J G=Y H=D I=K J=H K=N L=U M=O N=F O=L P=I Q=X R=G S=W T=R U=S V=Q W=A X=T Y=V Z=B
- “He who lets the goat be laid on his shoulders is soon after forced to carry the cow.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=W B=O C=U D=A E=Z F=Y G=E H=P I=D J=I K=J L=X M=R N=G O=F P=C Q=H R=L S=M T=N U=K V=T W=V X=S Y=B Z=Q
- “I ask your pardon, coach; I thought you were a wheelbarrow when I stumbled over you.”— Irish proverb, 1859, Recorded in Walter K. Kelly, Proverbs of All Nations, Compared, Explained, and Illustrated (London, 1859)Cipher key: A=O B=Q C=B D=H E=S F=P G=T H=X I=C J=D K=A L=K M=F N=I O=Z P=V Q=E R=Y S=M T=L U=G V=R W=J X=N Y=W Z=U