Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = E
YLJHAABZLJRBLXSAHHXTLDAULXUBDRJHLULBHAXDGHL,AULJGPPLK'JLQL,MYLUHYLZKLLVLMXJTAUL,XUBHYLURTYHRUTXDLMXJPGHL.
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 239
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: O = E
SOTAOZVBOKHTNOBZVOOUBETBBEOAOFQTKZBEOALZCBETKNTMOBETKBETBSEFDEFQHOTQCAONVAZHBEOLOTAZVZCAKTBCATUPFABE.
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: F = E
GMYFYVQSUDMPGVJFWSVYOGUMMNMPJMNNOYF;NMWUSFJFGVWFMNQKMWBDKVPQGFIFPUMUSFEFGUYFPKMPQFWUSOPOPBMUSFWAOGGVMP.
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 4
Starter clue: I = E
RIHTPYGLSJGDPEHYKXIWSHSTJSWPMWIOMSTIQ,KYSPMGBHPEJOJHSTIBGUDI,JMLRIHTPYGLSJDICOIJSWJOIRTIOIRILOJRSTIGUMI.
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: W = E
NRWWXANRYXFIXTWFDKXALDSF,NRXNNRWILMTDETWFSZNDABIXM,FNSTLDSFDEORXMVWXMTHZWXFWTYLNRMDKWZNB,ILVRNQWLMTSZVWT.
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: D = O
MDDMCACZCMAKDYCOXNKCKXDYYNIEPDM,VMAPEJDNQAKCCWEDZDQQDJELVEMDMCJDNQADIIDKCUPSDYDNKWCVKNYCKEDCYVAPXVECPE.
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)
- “He stood beside a cottage lone and listened to a lute, One summer's eve, when the breeze was gone, And the nightingale was mute.”— Thomas K. Hervey, 1830, The Devil's Progress (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=D C=K D=L E=X F=Y G=U H=T I=J J=S K=R L=E M=W N=P O=Q P=M Q=V R=I S=C T=G U=N V=Z W=F X=A Y=H Z=B
- “We are often made to feel that there is another youth and age than that which is measured from the year of our natural birth.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841, Essays: First SeriesCipher key: A=R B=T C=U D=C E=H F=I G=K H=M I=P J=Z K=N L=Y M=G N=D O=E P=B Q=S R=V S=W T=A U=L V=F W=X X=J Y=Q Z=O
- “Some might consider him as too fond of fame; for the desire of glory clings even to the best men longer than any other passion.”— Tacitus, 105, Historiae, IV. 6 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=Y C=Z D=C E=B F=E G=S H=K I=V J=D K=L L=J M=O N=F O=A P=N Q=G R=Q S=H T=X U=T V=I W=R X=U Y=M Z=W
- “We should talk of subjects that concern them, but only so far as they like, and we should take great care where we draw the line.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=Z B=Y C=G D=K E=F F=P G=L H=S I=E J=A K=B L=D M=N N=V O=R P=O Q=M R=W S=T T=H U=I V=X W=C X=J Y=U Z=Q
- “The earth was made so various, that the mind of desultory man, studious of change and pleased with novelty, might be indulged.”— William Cowper, 1785, The Task, Book I. The Sofa. Line 506 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=Y C=J D=O E=F F=S G=X H=P I=M J=Z K=V L=I M=N N=T O=C P=K Q=B R=H S=U T=D U=Q V=G W=E X=A Y=W Z=L
- “No one defends or excuses corruption, and it would seem to follow that none would oppose vigorous measures to eradicate it.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1904, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=D B=K C=E D=O E=T F=Z G=B H=J I=P J=W K=S L=H M=N N=U O=X P=I Q=L R=Q S=G T=Y U=V V=A W=M X=C Y=R Z=F