Puzzle 1
Starter clue: M = E
VBMFPQMVBNVBMMCJMHRDGPQPVBMQD,VBMFPQMRPMDBMJPDDMDDPGBSDPKH;VBMFPQMVBNVBMLSXMDVPPVBMQD,VBMFPQMRPMDBMBNXMBSFDMAG.
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 245
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: J = A
XVSJERXJERJFGSVADJACVYGYYVDXDGZLEDGMJNJMXJSVLRXVYBJXEGRAGERFGJQERTKEXIFEYYGDERTSGXIVFM,JNJMXJSVLRXVYILSEQEXC.
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
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: P = E
VPRCPYAQYPZRPGRZBDPEGRCHSGBBPEZRPGRZBDPE;GRCVPRKQYDBZEGQYPBDPVYPSUPYGNZUPZRPGRZBDPE,GRCIEZLIDNPHZEPZRPGRZBDPE.
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: G = T
SQWLGUGTMC,SQWLGUGTMC,SQWLGUGTMC!ME,TEUKQXMZGPRSQWLGUGTMC!TEUKQXMZGGEQTPPMSGUXWUSGMIPRZQXI,UCHVEUGSQPUTCZTZNQZGTUX.
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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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: P = E
PMXPGZGYJPJFVXKPKYQKPJXYEZFGXNMHPXFFAGEFGNRNMTENXPGYNRDPRR-WPYMQAMYXPAJNMTFVVPGNEZRPPEZRFUEPMXFVFAGWPJXZFDPGJ.
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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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = T
UPFRYGPYFKGPFKYKSBWUBJFPGSKRGYPFXWFXWGAKJIWJMWQQPSFBKJZBFXKRFZXBSXUBNPGFIWJMPTPJUBQPBFYPUQWGPNRFMGPWGIFXBJVY.
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 more that he expends for others, the more does he possess of his own; the more that he gives to others, the more does he have himself.”— Laozi, 1891, Tao Te Ching (James Legge translation, 1891)Cipher key: A=L B=H C=X D=S E=Y F=M G=F H=N I=J J=P K=W L=G M=E N=A O=B P=O Q=R R=D S=I T=Q U=K V=T W=Z X=V Y=C Z=U
- “To maintain a democracy of effort requires a vast amount of patience in dealing with differing methods, a vast amount of humility.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937, Second Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=C B=P C=Y D=R E=I F=D G=E H=B I=H J=A K=W L=U M=S N=V O=X P=Z Q=L R=N S=M T=G U=K V=O W=J X=T Y=F Z=Q
- “Men despise one another and flatter one another; and men wish to raise themselves above one another, and crouch before one another.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=P B=T C=D D=H E=R F=X G=A H=F I=C J=G K=W L=U M=Z N=B O=Y P=E Q=I R=N S=L T=Q U=V V=M W=K X=J Y=S Z=O
- “Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Othello, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=C C=N D=Z E=H F=J G=T H=D I=F J=K K=V L=U M=O N=B O=G P=M Q=E R=Y S=R T=I U=A V=W W=P X=L Y=X Z=S
- “Enterprises of the highest importance to our moral and material well-being unite us and offer ample employment of our best powers.”— James A. Garfield, 1881, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=U B=K C=J D=W E=M F=O G=R H=C I=Z J=S K=H L=V M=N N=A O=Q P=E Q=G R=L S=X T=D U=Y V=F W=B X=T Y=I Z=P
- “Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life itself are but dreary things.”— Thomas Jefferson, 1801, First Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=M B=I C=Z D=K E=P F=T G=R H=X I=Y J=N K=O L=Q M=D N=B O=J P=E Q=F R=U S=C T=V U=L V=G W=A X=H Y=S Z=W