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Printable cryptogram puzzles
9 free printable cryptograms. Each one is a traditional proverb in letter-swap code, with one letter given to start you off. Answers are on the last page.
Two puzzles fit on each printed page, and each has a strip under it for keeping track of the letters you have worked out. Want a gentler start? Try the easy cryptograms, with five letters given.
Cryptogram #1
Given: D = N.
Cryptogram #2
Given: Y = C.
Cryptogram #3
Given: A = O.
Cryptogram #4
Given: N = A.
Cryptogram #5
Given: M = L.
Cryptogram #6
Given: N = T.
Cryptogram #7
Given: G = L.
Cryptogram #8
Given: E = T.
Cryptogram #9
Given: U = E.
Answers
Cryptograms — answers
- A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP.
- DO NOT COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY HATCH.
- IF AT FIRST YOU DO NOT SUCCEED, TRY, TRY AGAIN.
- A BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH.
- PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULD NOT THROW STONES.
- YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER, BUT YOU CANNOT MAKE IT DRINK.
- WHEN THE CAT IS AWAY, THE MICE WILL PLAY.
- THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE.
- DO NOT PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET.
✓ Checked: every code decodes back to its proverb and no letter stands for itself.
How to solve a cryptogram
Every letter in the puzzle stands for a different letter, and the swap stays the same from start to finish. If X means E once, it means E everywhere. No letter stands for itself. Write each letter you work out in the blank above it, everywhere it appears, and in the strip under the puzzle.
1. Start with the short words
A one-letter word is almost always A or I. A three-letter word that turns up more than once is often THE or AND.
2. Look for the most common letters
Count the letters that appear most. In ordinary English, E is the most common letter, with T, A, O, I and N close behind.
3. Use apostrophes and endings
A single letter after an apostrophe is usually S or T. Two letters at the end of a word are often ED, ER, LY or ES, and three are often ING.
4. Use double letters
Doubles are often LL, EE, SS, OO or TT. A double at the very start of a word is rare.
5. Fill in, then read
Once a few letters are in place, read the half-finished words aloud. Your ear will often fill the gap before your eye does. Use a pencil: a wrong guess is part of the puzzle.