Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Q = E
KQLKAUAQTNKQLBAEYXABYQNTZN,MVNEANKQLKABQSQZGQTZN.
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 81
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: D = O
HB,MDFAVHYDFZUYUZMNBOIK;MDFHZUNBUYHIOVVHDAJDLOUNM.
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: K = O
VRDVKARPXHTBHTLVRPHOOCAHTIB,TKLVRDVKCKRBLKXTIQAK.
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: Z = O
YXUYZPSUPGDFYKQMDKFKDFZZDZZQ,KDDNLXFZOZHXFZZSPFX.
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: V = T
PVPAPOCIPOVDRYIJVEYDHVDVEYLIVYUPNEYPAODVVEPUAVT.
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: S = E
BSIBRDARZDFASMSGODARYSYSMSGNSADARBWDQRHGYSO'DSYE.
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 who does the wrong forgets it, but not he who receives it.”— Italian proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=O B=R C=P D=M E=N F=L G=V H=Y I=X J=Q K=H L=W M=B N=T O=Z P=A Q=E R=J S=C T=S U=D V=U W=K X=F Y=G Z=I
- “Ah, you flavour everything; you are the vanilla of society.”— Sydney Smith, 1855, Lady Holland's Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith, Vol. I. p. 262 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=H C=J D=O E=B F=U G=Q H=A I=N J=S K=G L=C M=Y N=T O=I P=Z Q=X R=P S=W T=D U=E V=L W=M X=K Y=V Z=R
- “He who remains in the mill grinds, not he who goes to and fro.”— Spanish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=R B=S C=G D=W E=Z F=U G=Q H=I I=D J=Y K=O L=T M=V N=K O=L P=M Q=F R=E S=X T=N U=J V=H W=C X=A Y=B Z=P
- “He who always thinks it is too soon, is sure to come too late.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=F B=V C=D D=S E=Q F=T G=Y H=M I=X J=B K=I L=R M=K N=U O=C P=A Q=N R=G S=L T=P U=W V=Z W=J X=E Y=H Z=O
- “It is in vain to lead the ox to the water if he is not thirsty.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=S B=U C=V D=O E=H F=P G=B H=X I=A J=D K=C L=W M=Z N=F O=N P=I Q=J R=L S=G T=Y U=R V=T W=Q X=K Y=E Z=M
- “He who stops at every stone never gets to his journey's end.”— French proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=T B=H C=F D=S E=D F=A G=R H=U I=W J=B K=C L=X M=V N=G O=Y P=K Q=J R=O S=E T=L U=Z V=M W=I X=Q Y=N Z=P