Puzzle 1
Starter clue: C = I
ZCNUSGPCJVNHZGOFDHDV,ZCNUJUGOCNRMHOGPP,ZCNUMCOSDVEECDNUVOCIUN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- I
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Medium 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: H = N
TDHUBJUJAHDODFKDHGUHJOUFRGUAHRHPHUHDGM-HUHDODFKDHGODFJOUFRGUAH.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: M = T
MWYRYBMMLZYMNIHPXMPMQYYJPBMJYXMVVYPQBPUN.MWYBYGNXFRYBMMLZYLBXNJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: R = E
VPRMRWVTZOJIWVMRTEVLYEXVPLZAWLZVPRFICXOBTZZIVMRWRRZICRNRZVIEBPRO.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: K = T
UKUFZGKMZGCJRKGWMWCFI;FGHYMKRMHZKF.KRMTCMFKUGZUF:DRHKHYMDMWCFIHWGCK?
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: T = E
QCUUQTBCHAOSITUSBTASHAOYZAYTAZRBCOJFIUYHT;ZYUWITSUBCHAOICOTSZFNTCU.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
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- H
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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)
- “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right.”— Abraham Lincoln, 1865, Second Inaugural AddressCipher key: A=Q B=U C=I D=N E=S F=D G=A H=O I=G J=C K=J L=V M=F N=T O=R P=L Q=X R=Y S=M T=Z U=H V=E W=B X=P Y=K Z=W
- “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”— Thomas Edison, 1903, Harper's Monthly interviewCipher key: A=O B=U C=M D=E E=L F=R G=T H=N I=H J=S K=C L=F M=Y N=V O=P P=D Q=W R=A S=B T=G U=I V=K W=Z X=Q Y=J Z=X
- “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”— Proverb, 1900, Chinese proverbCipher key: A=J B=S C=Z D=K E=Q F=D G=C H=L I=P J=W K=V L=I M=T N=O O=U P=A Q=R R=B S=X T=F U=G V=Y W=H X=N Y=E Z=M
- “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.”— Helen Keller, 1903, The Story of My LifeCipher key: A=G B=C C=R D=P E=U F=W G=Y H=K I=O J=M K=J L=I M=B N=V O=D P=H Q=Z R=E S=Q T=A U=X V=T W=S X=L Y=F Z=N
- “It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?”— Henry David Thoreau, 1857, Letter to Harrison BlakeCipher key: A=X B=K C=U D=W E=C F=S G=O H=A I=Y J=G K=T L=Z M=E N=L O=F P=V Q=M R=H S=P T=Q U=I V=J W=B X=D Y=R Z=N
- “Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above it.”— Washington Irving, 1819, The Sketch BookCipher key: A=D B=M C=I D=K E=Z F=O G=W H=N I=R J=F K=C L=H M=X N=V O=S P=Q Q=L R=Y S=A T=E U=T V=P W=G X=J Y=U Z=B