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Free printable cryptograms

28 packs of five cryptograms each: real, sourced public-domain quotations encrypted with letter substitution ciphers. Solve them in the browser or print a pack; every pack PDF includes the answer key.

Frequently asked questions

What is a cryptogram?

A short piece of text encrypted with a letter substitution cipher: every A in the original might appear as R, every B as K, and so on. You solve it by working out the substitution. In our puzzles no letter ever stands for itself.

How do I start solving a cryptogram?

Start with one-letter words, which are almost always A or I. An apostrophe followed by one letter is usually T or S. The most frequent letters in English text are E, T, A, O and N, so the most frequent cipher letters likely map to those. Three-letter words at the start of a sentence are often THE.

Where do the quotations come from?

All quotations are public domain: works published before 1929 and traditional proverbs. Each puzzle names its author, and the answer key gives the source where one is documented. We do not use unverified internet attributions.