Puzzle 1
Starter clue: P = E
VMTQQPZPWXPPCTDFDRPFUPPWVUYZLTWNGTWMVWMVRIDTWPDD-HTLPGTWM.
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
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- Z
Work Cryptograms Set 5
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: P = O
RTCMTVLILHVQPPBMUPBQAHTRPNNPMQBHLQLTJEPMRPMXCHWTWBDCQLPH.
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 3
Starter clue: V = E
VSVWCEWDMPFYUODEYWBVXVVPWYBMVQBHIFIFVJYXIDEZMQDMIWVBDWQX.
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 4
Starter clue: S = R
OETLJSNJDOETHFKTBMCTAJFSOMXSTICCQILJSNJDAEISIAOTSPFMCGMBV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: K = T
VAFKEQEKMYKFLFNDPMYQJTEPO,EKQPTYSKYFKEDBQ,FBXEKQZFQKSDBSOIBQ?
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: C = T
CLPVDGSDGQCADJLQWVDNPCDWCQX,HOWCQWCLPCGQBPOJADJLQWVDNPCDWCQX.
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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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)
- “A difference exists between a working mind and a business-like mind.”— Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1871, Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (J. Hain Friswell translation, 1871)Cipher key: A=P B=V C=X D=S E=J F=T G=M H=L I=U J=Z K=Y L=K M=D N=G O=H P=E Q=F R=B S=Q T=I U=W V=A W=N X=C Y=O Z=R
- “We are giving to our youth new opportunities for work and education.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1939, State of the Union AddressCipher key: A=H B=U C=A D=C E=F F=B G=M H=N I=V J=S K=Z L=I M=R N=P O=L P=O Q=T R=W S=Q T=E U=Y V=G W=D X=K Y=X Z=J
- “Every branch of labor we see crowned with the most abundant rewards.”— Andrew Jackson, 1835, Seventh Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=Z B=W C=Y D=A E=B F=H G=P H=I I=T J=M K=Q L=X M=N N=K O=L P=C Q=D R=J S=V T=G U=F V=E W=R X=S Y=O Z=U
- “The work of the juvenile court is really a work of character building.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1904, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=C B=N C=L D=F E=H F=U G=D H=J I=A J=O K=V L=W M=I N=K O=T P=B Q=Y R=Q S=R T=E U=P V=G W=Z X=S Y=X Z=M
- “What is it but a map of busy life, Its fluctuations, and its vast concerns?”— William Cowper, 1785, The Task, Book IV. The Winter Evening. Line 55 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=N C=Z D=O E=I F=A G=J H=X I=R J=Y K=T L=M M=B N=P O=E P=F Q=S R=K S=C T=L U=G V=W W=Q X=D Y=U Z=V
- “The corporation has come to stay, just as the trade union has come to stay.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1905, Fifth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=I B=D C=T D=O E=Q F=W G=R H=J I=G J=N K=L L=H M=K N=M O=U P=E Q=A R=B S=P T=X U=F V=C W=S X=Y Y=Z Z=V