Puzzle 1
Starter clue: T = O
QFQLATFXQFKTDFITTBNPULTALUQB,FKUFKPXKTKULATFUITTBYPYTNRLKTDGBAPWPNFUHPDJTAKQYFKPFNUBPTEGRQAI.
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 12
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: G = E
PGJQAMQKXGIAMRKXMORMMUGAZBMIRXGLUKXKRMUZKAUKFSZAGAMUKMUJRFV,RKXKZKGJRVIGFGUEGGNFGTMRAOGYUEGA.
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: R = A
TRSQRHREXSJIRSLTYIJBRGROKJTRBQXSJXSQXTUQRSUQYHJYUQJIH,OFUXUXHUQJHRTJTRBQXSJRSLPYIDHXSUQJHRTJPRZ.
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: B = E
MFSEUKUX,XMPESEXKEAHB,ZMXBQFSB,PMSEVVOBQBCZ,YESORMSGUCIKBC,BTFEVUZAMPMJJMSZFCUZAECOBTFEVUZAMPHFSOBC.
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: H = E
OHBXLHXQJCYBXBXGZWTJBJZWJWSJNH,XWTQXFOHYXIHQBMTJHTJB;ZMVRZQBHSXEZVXBHIJHOJQWZRZVHBYXWXWJRUVHQQJZW.
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: D = A
VGOREUCSJGKKMSMTDOUGC,YDBUODFUJOUYDCSFDVGT,YDCSGPAYRWGGS,DCSDJDCMYMJJDTHYGTGFFDTHORMHYDCVGORSGMNUF.
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)
- “It is not without good reason said, that he who has not a good memory should never take upon him the trade of lying.”— Michel de Montaigne, 1580, Essays, Book I, Chap. IX. Of Liars (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=D C=Z D=U E=F F=T G=L H=K I=G J=P K=H L=S M=B N=R O=Q P=E Q=I R=Y S=X T=O U=A V=J W=V X=W Y=M Z=C
- “We must understand that ties of trade bind nations in closest intimacy, and none may receive except as he gives.”— Warren G. Harding, 1921, Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=S B=F C=K D=J E=V F=C G=E H=Q I=R J=M K=N L=B M=T N=X O=H P=W Q=U R=A S=L T=P U=I V=Y W=Z X=D Y=G Z=O
- “Man has a finer and more capable machine in him than those others, but it is the same machine and works in the same way.”— Mark Twain, 1906, What Is Man? and Other EssaysCipher key: A=V B=C C=Q D=K E=F F=U G=P H=S I=R J=E K=L L=D M=G N=X O=B P=W Q=H R=A S=N T=M U=T V=Z W=J X=I Y=O Z=Y
- “Our aim is, so far as may be, to secure, for all decent, hard working men, equality of opportunity and equality of burden.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1906, Sixth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=Y B=E C=N D=V E=A F=U G=K H=B I=G J=P K=M L=X M=O N=J O=D P=F Q=C R=W S=R T=Q U=I V=L W=Z X=S Y=H Z=T
- “We take a sight at a condition in life, and say we have studied it; our most elaborate view is no more than an impression.”— Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881, Virginibus Puerisque and Other PapersCipher key: A=J B=T C=G D=X E=B F=Y G=C H=E I=V J=I K=Q L=K M=U N=F O=W P=Z Q=S R=M S=L T=D U=P V=R W=N X=A Y=H Z=O
- “Both kinds of federation, capitalistic and labor, can do much good, and as a necessary corollary they can both do evil.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 1902, Second Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=U B=P C=N D=A E=K F=L G=O H=Y I=Q J=S K=F L=X M=E N=V O=T P=M Q=Z R=H S=D T=R U=I V=B W=G X=J Y=C Z=W