Puzzle 1
Starter clue: C = I
ZIHAMWUXCHDCQWMHWVXCHAMU-CFKGCF!AXIPMIGALMI'HGAXCHZCMAUJWMEGYGCF.
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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Work Cryptograms Set 6
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 = E
KHSJEWGPMEJIKTRPOWGJEJAUESMYVPHSKMWEBTJRYHQWYWGYMJAGYJUEHWGJL.
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 3
Starter clue: Q = O
DNBZQJY,VQQSTQW,HWJDNBJAKZKYQYNMAJQKX,KYXHWJDNBJANMZDQQMYNMALQJS.
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 4
Starter clue: V = E
JIVKFTBVETRNTFBVLYWJIDLXYFJWRV,TRZVBVFQETRDLJIVLYRYXIDLYGRGYFUL.
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: F = O
EBCKKYNMTMCGSMGMVKCTEPZNFKEACTO,YFOVFGYSFIKAJMCOYMAEFIOCOYFSFGX.
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 6
Starter clue: A = R
FXTGHRGQXATTGKHNGQKLAIXAZT,XAPRJ;SHAGQBLBUXGIALGKQLTXIUBLTOKUTHAJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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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)
- “Destroy his fib or sophistry - in vain! The creature's at his dirty work again.”— Alexander Pope, 1735, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, Prologue to the Satires. Line 91 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=J C=I D=F E=K F=N G=A H=S I=E J=W K=V L=U M=R N=Z O=Q P=C Q=B R=L S=X T=M U=Y V=P W=O X=H Y=G Z=D
- “Under this republic the rewards of industry belong to those who earn them.”— Calvin Coolidge, 1925, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=W B=Y C=X D=Q E=R F=K G=H H=N I=P J=E K=U L=M M=S N=Z O=C P=I Q=G R=L S=D T=B U=A V=F W=T X=J Y=O Z=V
- “The morn, look you, furthers a man on his road, and furthers him too in his work.”— Hesiod, 700 BC, Works and Days, Line 579 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=E C=Q D=T E=G F=J G=P H=F I=X J=R K=A L=W M=I N=H O=V P=Z Q=O R=B S=K T=Y U=C V=L W=U X=D Y=N Z=M
- “The brave man carves out his fortune, and every man is the son of his own works.”— Miguel de Cervantes, 1605, Don Quixote, Part I, Book I. Chap. IV (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=V C=Q D=I E=M F=R G=W H=G I=H J=T K=B L=S M=L N=C O=Z P=X Q=Y R=N S=P T=A U=K V=E W=U X=F Y=O Z=D
- “If all the year were playing holidays, To sport would be as tedious as to work.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, King Henry IV, Part I, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=F C=A D=M E=I F=O G=R H=V I=U J=B K=L L=Q M=E N=H O=S P=N Q=C R=X S=W T=Y U=Z V=P W=J X=K Y=T Z=G
- “Most authors steal their works, or buy; Garth did not write his own Dispensary.”— Alexander Pope, 1711, An Essay on Criticism, Part III. Line 59 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=D C=Q D=C E=J F=M G=T H=A I=W J=Y K=E L=I M=F N=L O=P P=B Q=H R=U S=G T=S U=N V=Z W=V X=O Y=X Z=K