Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = E
HSAGAJAULDGAFVGRNSVNDHGZBNVGANNQSAHDUWVNRDGA.
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
Work Cryptograms Set 2
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: L = I
EQESDCEDLWJNWA,ESGLSZNLWLDLPI,LWXMQQMSBAISPLMNW.
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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- R
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- T
- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: V = T
VQPKWRXYVQPJXWPRADGGFZEJVQVQPCRVGCGVQPXZ'EGXFZ.
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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- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: O = R
VYFSHOEDIAFOHDORNWHDOPOHSZ,RDBDOUHDZWXOFZVONUIV.
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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- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Z = O
DVDYYGVDYPGJVDZBVZGHGBVZEZVKSXAZXSALZAUYZPGHGB.
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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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: N = E
CQTCCFTNCTBN'OINUFEOHMNVCRQXIUFINFBNUFQOMAOHFUEN.
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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- X
- Y
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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)
- “When every one minds his own business the work is done.”— Danish proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=E B=U C=Z D=O E=A F=M G=N H=W I=X J=V K=C L=Y M=J N=S O=G P=L Q=T R=D S=H T=Q U=R V=I W=K X=P Y=F Z=B
- “A man that is busy, and inquisitive, is commonly envious.”— Francis Bacon, 1625, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and MoralCipher key: A=Y B=L C=H D=T E=A F=X G=D H=P I=E J=B K=F L=I M=O N=U O=J P=V Q=M R=W S=N T=G U=Z V=R W=S X=C Y=K Z=Q
- “They lard their lean books with the fat of others' works.”— Robert Burton, 1621, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Democritus to the Reader (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=P C=F D=B E=W F=K G=O H=J I=X J=I K=Y L=G M=V N=C O=Q P=E Q=H R=A S=U T=Z U=M V=T W=L X=R Y=D Z=S
- “The work under our labour grows, Luxurious by restraint.”— John Milton, 1667, Paradise Lost, Book IX. Line 208 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=X C=J D=U E=K F=E G=V H=O I=N J=P K=M L=Q M=Z N=A O=R P=G Q=F R=L S=W T=C U=I V=T W=B X=Y Y=H Z=S
- “It is satisfaction to a man to do the proper works of a man.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=R B=N C=B D=I E=D F=U G=A H=M I=Y J=C K=H L=W M=Z N=X O=Q P=F Q=J R=G S=E T=V U=K V=T W=L X=P Y=S Z=O
- “On poor people's beards the young barber learns his trade.”— German proverb, 1857, Recorded with English translation in Henry G. Bohn, A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (London, 1857)Cipher key: A=I B=L C=O D=V E=D F=R G=M H=T I=B J=W K=Z L=F M=H N=E O=S P=J Q=N R=U S=Q T=P U=A V=Y W=K X=G Y=X Z=C