Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = S
VEIFXIJBQQEXQSWQEWLOCZZBHXZXVIWU?VEWUWSWEGLRCGTTGQGWLJBV,EGLRCGZZWQL,EGLDXLWL,EGLQWJCUWL,XJTEGLQUGDOL?
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 235
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: G = T
KBGYMEUHGYMUMKLBEGYKBCGEYKBAMUEFUTESSEDKBCDYXGDMXUMGXFCYG;PFGKBSKTMGYMUMXUMJXBHGYKBCLGEAUXDFLXLKAM.
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: H = E
WOMVRVLSMWDMHVVRIHSHWSKH,NOGERGYLBHGHMARJLGRWJGYLGSMWDMHVVAOVGNHNLVHBOSWJGYHZWOJBLGRWJWZHPSHMRHJFH.
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: F = O
CUUDQFUEFVXSXFSLJPAPFSUQLGCMPLFSGBPJCQGFGBPFSPXSFJBFUE,CLXGLPUNXLFSUQCLGCMPFSGBPJCQGFLFDPGBXSMPULP.
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: J = E
KQXGQTAATGGEHYAEIEPGPXPQJTVQEJDJIJYPGXUULJJIEYMGTYMULJJQTYMGRYMJLPQJBLXPJVPEXYXUPQEGHAXLEXRGRYEXY?
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: C = E
IXNUCSHHTRTKZNLHZKZMTZECZCWLHKZMKXHETZLHM,HECACTAVCKZCHECTRVMITYCZCLBRIZCSTBRLPCWNMTXZSTRIHLHXHLTR.
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)
- “Why may not that be the skull of a lawyer? Where be his quiddities now, his quillets, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks?”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=O C=U D=C E=H F=M G=I H=F I=Y J=N K=G L=S M=P N=X O=K P=V Q=T R=Q S=B T=D U=R V=W W=E X=A Y=Z Z=L
- “In theory there is nothing to hinder our following what we are taught; but in life there are many things to draw us aside.”— Epictetus, 108, Discourses (recorded by Arrian), Chap. XXVI (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=N C=G D=W E=O F=U G=T H=Y I=K J=M K=I L=S M=E N=P O=Z P=B Q=X R=C S=L T=F U=R V=Q W=V X=A Y=H Z=J
- “Ours is a progressive people, but with a determination that progress must be based upon the foundation of experience.”— Herbert Hoover, 1929, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=M B=D C=J D=G E=W F=C G=T H=E I=V J=N K=L L=A M=R N=B O=U P=X Q=Z R=I S=P T=Y U=K V=S W=O X=Q Y=H Z=F
- “All my old opinions were only stages on the way to the one I now hold, as itself is only a stage on the way to something else.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=R B=H C=A D=M E=D F=O G=T H=K I=Q J=W K=X L=S M=G N=F O=B P=E Q=Y R=J S=N T=Z U=L V=P W=C X=I Y=V Z=U
- “Who shall assign limits to the achievements of free minds and free hands under the protection of this glorious Union?”— James K. Polk, 1845, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=L B=P C=Z D=V E=I F=X G=S H=G I=M J=E K=W L=R M=D N=K O=J P=T Q=H R=U S=Q T=A U=F V=C W=B X=O Y=N Z=Y
- “Subject to no arbitrary or hereditary authority, the people are the only sovereigns recognized by our Constitution.”— James K. Polk, 1847, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=P B=G C=E D=K E=H F=W G=X H=T I=S J=Q K=A L=I M=Y N=B O=M P=Z Q=F R=N S=C T=O U=J V=L W=D X=U Y=V Z=R