Puzzle 1
Starter clue: W = E
BEWLWJAPDPWWUBDMJPURTDPW'AEWYUMWVDLWJBJAMLDFWP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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- O
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- Z
Wisdom Cryptograms Set 63
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: M = T
X'JJDAMIWXBPJGBUAEPITUAMMNGGIBMNXEHUBMORXEAMGC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: T = S
LGVTSZKYNAVTGALJBRVDTAVTEJFCZJFRDJSLGZ'TFVTLRM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
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- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: I = O
QFRSBEIMLFXLIYVBKITQKQIKCAPIWRYYCIPXCIATBITYB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
- E
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- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: A = S
NDKUQEZVAMFEZUDOARYKFUVF,AVUOUIENGKAAEZYQDCKOG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: B = E
ETBVADUBVJNLKYFJTAMB,SBETBPAAVBOBPUALDMMALHJEU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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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)
- “There is no need to bind up one's head before it is broken.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=S B=T C=X D=O E=H F=K G=L H=G I=M J=I K=Q L=R M=B N=W O=Z P=N Q=V R=U S=J T=P U=D V=F W=E X=C Y=A Z=Y
- “I'll put a girdle round about the earth in forty minutes.”— William Shakespeare, 1595, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=R C=S D=P E=N F=V G=E H=F I=A J=L K=J L=Z M=T N=H O=Y P=D Q=W R=M S=X T=B U=O V=C W=G X=I Y=Q Z=K
- “He is truly wise who gains wisdom from another's mishap.”— Publilius Syrus, 42 BC, Sententiae (Maxims), 825 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=G C=F D=N E=D F=M G=E H=C I=J J=O K=U L=H M=P N=Y O=X P=Z Q=K R=A S=T T=S U=B V=I W=Q X=V Y=L Z=R
- “I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act I. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=E C=S D=Q E=B F=H G=X H=K I=O J=Z K=N L=G M=U N=C O=W P=R Q=I R=A S=V T=P U=J V=D W=M X=T Y=L Z=Y
- “What comes from this quarter, set it down as so much gain.”— Terence, 160 BC, Adelphoe, Act V. Sc. 3, 30. (816) (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=V C=G D=H E=O F=R G=N H=B I=D J=X K=A L=P M=F N=W O=I P=K Q=C R=Q S=Y T=Z U=T V=E W=L X=J Y=U Z=M
- “The mouse may find a hole, be the room ever so full of cats.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=E C=Z D=U E=T F=D G=K H=C I=W J=A K=I L=F M=L N=Y O=V P=R Q=X R=P S=B T=H U=S V=M W=J X=G Y=N Z=Q