Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Y = A
JNGGLMIFYKKYDFZDQJBNXYFSNJ-RGYTN,YQEMQNCDGGTYGGJBNXAGYTSYQEYQMJBNFCBDJN.
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 189
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: X = E
XKMCYSIFIFKQLRQCGIORUFCKIKYKQKQLXKMCGIXQFGFZXLFRVXTSLPXLIRZXZBFCXUXVB.
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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- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: C = E
NTIBXAAGOPGPOUNPTIYCVQIURCXQUNCIICC,XTSNTIDPOUBCXIQOCIANKCBXZGCOKCWURC.
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
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: Q = E
WQFIQQSYEUXULM,XGCLQQBGMNQTNQSGXUIQUOGMSNIQNSXGPEJUUJNRDIJFIMNIQSLKJAQ.
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
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: H = O
LEHTIULTYERVRB,SHHPHBUSHCTIORIHBO,AORC,IQMOSEOSTCM,BHACHSEOCBORCSEOSECHBO.
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: Z = O
HRSOXJJOXLNQZYOQZZNEZLQQZCONJOMQRMMKLNRMWXMRYZNRQBZLLOWRNQOLRMWDLZMWN.
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)
- “Tell your affairs in the market-place, and one will call them black and another white.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=B B=H C=W D=I E=D F=R G=L H=X I=U J=T K=F L=Y M=O N=E O=V P=J Q=N R=P S=K T=C U=Z V=G W=Q X=M Y=A Z=S
- “Each must stand on his worth as a man and each is entitled to be judged solely thereby.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1904, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=P B=Y C=H D=Z E=K F=T G=I H=F I=S J=Q K=A L=D M=C N=V O=W P=G Q=N R=O S=U T=J U=R V=B W=X X=E Y=M Z=L
- “In small proportions we just beauties see, And in short measures life may perfect be.”— Ben Jonson, 1640, Underwoods, To the immortal Memory of Sir Lucius Cary and Sir Henry Morison. III (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=M C=E D=H E=Q F=X G=P H=K I=S J=G K=F L=V M=Z N=I O=R P=O Q=U R=B S=D T=N U=T V=J W=C X=A Y=W Z=Y
- “Be cheerful also, and seek not external help nor the tranquillity which others give.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=V B=K C=D D=W E=U F=C G=N H=Z I=H J=I K=G L=S M=O N=T O=P P=Q Q=E R=Y S=R T=X U=L V=M W=B X=A Y=F Z=J
- “Should such a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, Prologue to the Satires. Line 197 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=N C=R D=Q E=H F=G G=V H=O I=L J=X K=Y L=S M=K N=Z O=E P=F Q=I R=A S=T T=U U=D V=M W=J X=P Y=C Z=W
- “Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.”— Charlotte Bronte, 1847, Jane EyreCipher key: A=J B=Y C=B D=W E=H F=V G=C H=L I=K J=P K=U L=R M=N N=S O=E P=Z Q=T R=I S=F T=Q U=X V=D W=G X=A Y=M Z=O