Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = E
BDGUAFYJVNOBDGJOGHCGO,NMBVKXZVBDYXG,DYCGSMFXMBBGKBDGKYJGOMSBDGVFSMEKNGFO.
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 194
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: B = E
ODFLZINBEDOBZVINZ,-VGBPNDZBIFHZBV,VGBPGIRBVGBXMNZGDWMSVGBXMNEH,JQVFMNBWMZB.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: I = E
RKRQNIKKISTIVZROHGRKMEIOROVBBIKRKI,KMVOGRKMKMYQIKMVKVSIGMISIKMIJGYCZTNI.
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
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- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: F = E
BWFFLHCPJIGVLE,WFXJDFAHLVGAWVLILFQVAF,KLFJAIAIWFDFFEJML,JEOBJLVPAJAWFSVFA.
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 5
Starter clue: E = O
KCRZESWTVCXCJRMHMVHAZUVFKUAZMVMUJEPMSAZEJUAH,VEJRZEKMVHRSBCJUEJUAHEPGUVT.
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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- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Z = E
EMNWLKEZTZDKZFOQWNZ,TEWDZTZMAEKXDZODZLYWTDMOLMKTWFQDUOQEZURZOYXZYWGBZOHZ.
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 Pyramids themselves, doting with age, have forgotten the names of their founders.”— Thomas Fuller, 1642, The Holy and Profane State, Of Tombs (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=T C=V D=H E=U F=R G=E H=L I=Q J=M K=N L=K M=O N=D O=S P=J Q=Z R=C S=F T=B U=P V=I W=X X=G Y=A Z=W
- “Kings are like stars, - they rise and set, they have the worship of the world, but no repose.”— Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1822, Hellas, Line 195 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=E C=J D=I E=L F=N G=H H=D I=A J=B K=M L=G M=O N=R O=K P=Y Q=U R=V S=F T=C U=Q V=T W=P X=W Y=Z Z=S
- “It is better dealing with men in appetite, than with those that are where they would be.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=K B=P C=U D=V E=M F=Q G=W H=G I=E J=Y K=T L=Z M=H N=B O=N P=J Q=S R=I S=R T=D U=X V=A W=C X=F Y=O Z=L
- “Cheerful at morn, he wakes from short repose, Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.”— Oliver Goldsmith, 1764, The Traveller, Line 185 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=C C=U D=K E=N F=E G=M H=F I=T J=A K=B L=R M=I N=Y O=D P=L Q=P R=J S=G T=X U=Q V=O W=H X=W Y=Z Z=V
- “We should never say anything with an air of authority, nor show any superiority of mind.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=T B=P C=E D=K E=O F=G G=M H=Y I=X J=R K=W L=Q M=A N=C O=B P=F Q=Z R=S S=U T=D U=I V=N W=L X=V Y=J Z=H
- “Him of the western dome, whose weighty sense Flows in fit words and heavenly eloquence.”— John Dryden, 1681, Absalom and Achitophel, Part I. Line 868 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=U C=J D=S E=H F=R G=Q H=C I=P J=K K=T L=F M=I N=M O=N P=X Q=D R=V S=Z T=W U=A V=B W=O X=Y Y=L Z=E