Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
NIVNKXNOPNXGGXUVBTJYNOWUNCNAXZNMHKUXGJWQNG.
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
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Oscar Wilde Cryptograms Set 1
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: M = T
MQOYJPKIEKMYSOMNVWYDEMOUCMEMVYJVBMYKVOPWMYVM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- N
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: N = E
VNGHNGJJKSZDNXFZZNH,EFZQPTNPYFQGHNJPPUKSXGZZDNQZGHQ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: K = T
CLGALOGWSKUULFEUSKWDKWKZLDVAQASKUKWCHOASLUPOCIWNUPK.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Y = T
YIFNAHNTYBHLELHTYYBNUONUYBHRILFZ.SITYCHICFHHKNTY,EUZYBEYNTEFF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: X = E
GFCYEDXFEUTYGEXDAZTXCTXUFDBEYCTYESZCJXIESC.QYKXTYGFGFEB,FCPTXZYDDUXDDNSVUTXUIVUT.
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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- X
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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)
- “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”— Oscar Wilde, 1892, Lady Windermere's FanCipher key: A=G B=L C=W D=J E=F F=B G=S H=U I=X J=T K=R L=Q M=O N=E O=N P=C Q=K R=D S=Z T=Y U=M V=P W=A X=I Y=H Z=V
- “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”— Oscar Wilde, 1890, The Picture of Dorian GrayCipher key: A=X B=S C=P D=F E=A F=J G=K H=U I=W J=N K=Y L=C M=T N=R O=E P=L Q=H R=Z S=G T=V U=M V=I W=D X=Q Y=O Z=B
- “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”— Oscar Wilde, 1892, Lady Windermere's FanCipher key: A=J B=V C=Z D=H E=B F=U G=A H=R I=D J=L K=I L=P M=Q N=E O=X P=O Q=S R=Y S=N T=M U=K V=W W=C X=G Y=F Z=T
- “Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.”— Oscar Wilde, 1892, Lady Windermere's FanCipher key: A=E B=D C=L D=N E=P F=M G=F H=K I=Y J=X K=T L=I M=J N=B O=S P=U Q=V R=W S=R T=C U=O V=G W=A X=Q Y=Z Z=H
- “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, and that is all.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Soul of Man Under SocialismCipher key: A=V B=H C=P D=K E=A F=L G=Y H=E I=O J=B K=X L=R M=U N=I O=G P=Q Q=Z R=W S=M T=S U=N V=F W=C X=J Y=T Z=D
- “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.”— Oscar Wilde, 1891, The Critic as ArtistCipher key: A=F B=K C=N D=L E=S F=A G=M H=C I=R J=P K=V L=Q M=J N=Y O=Z P=D Q=G R=B S=O T=H U=T V=U W=X X=E Y=I Z=W