10 Free Printable Cryptograms with Answers
Ten free printable cryptograms with answers: famous funny quotes in code, from easy to hard, with hints, solving tips and the answers at the bottom.
A cryptogram is a famous saying in disguise: every letter has been swapped for a different one, and your job is to crack the code. It's one of the most satisfying word puzzles there is, because a single correct guess often unlocks the whole sentence. Below you'll find ten printable cryptograms of witty quotes, from easy to hard, with a hint for each and all the answers at the bottom of the page. Print this page, grab a pencil, and start decoding.
How cryptograms work
Each puzzle uses a simple substitution cipher: every letter of the alphabet is replaced by another letter, and the same letter is always replaced the same way throughout that puzzle. If T becomes X once, every T in that quote is an X. No letter stands for itself. Spaces and punctuation stay the same, which gives you a lot of clues. Each puzzle uses a different code, so what you learn in one doesn't carry over to the next.
Tips for solving
- Start with the hint. We give you one or two letters for each puzzle. Fill them in everywhere first.
- Look at one-letter words. In English they're almost always A or I.
- Find "THE". The most common three-letter word in English. A three-letter word that appears twice, especially at the start, is very often THE.
- Use apostrophes and short words. Two-letter words like OF, TO, IN, IS and IT narrow things down fast.
- Think about frequency. E, T, A, O, I and N are the most common letters in English. The most frequent letter in a puzzle is often E.
- Look for patterns. A word like "SPEED" or "LITTLE" has repeated letters in a pattern you can recognise even in code.
- Use a pencil. You'll change your mind. Write guesses lightly above the coded letters.
The puzzles
Print this page or copy the puzzles onto paper. Write your answer letters above or below each coded letter.
Puzzle 1 (easy)
XAV MFPVSJN CAVVI DVXM XAV DUVSMV.
Hint: V = E, X = T
Puzzle 2 (easy)
LRR DIQK ZRRUN NYRWG LVF SCRLV.
Hint: R = O, L = T
Puzzle 3 (easy)
A EWC FMHAHU MRMFTUBACZ MOEMKU UMGKUWUAQC.
Hint: M = E, U = T
Puzzle 4 (medium)
MKZ YZXFYM FT NB UZRMK CRL RP ZJROOZYRMGFP.
Hint: Z = E
Puzzle 5 (medium)
EKJT YIP GKJKFLAJ JFKIZ KI FTARR PYWJ.
Hint: K = I
Puzzle 6 (medium)
YFUGG CHK LGGT H AGMUGY, XO YED DO YFGC HUG WGHW.
Hint: G = E
Puzzle 7 (medium)
JU CJI DOY, SIUR. JU CJI DOYYIW, WUODJUR.
Hint: J = H
Puzzle 8 (hard)
EAPTRM OEA URV FTOEBMT ZCTV ZEIT ZCTXMTRLTM RQPCZRV.
Hint: T = E
Puzzle 9 (hard)
HEWERQ VBVA UEAOVFJ LSVAV SV WYAPVR Z SZFGSVF.
Hint: V = E
Puzzle 10 (hard)
CNGW FV CFRW YAW UWTVCWV; KW TCC ATGW YN IN YAPNSIA FY.
Hint: W = E
Prefer paper?
Star Battle & Takuzu
120 Logic Puzzles for Adults, Warm-Up to Expert
The paper versions of Queens and Tango: one star per row, column and region, and balanced grids of ● and ○. Big 6.6-inch grids, one puzzle per page.
- 120 puzzles, each with exactly one solution
- 3 levels: Warm-Up, Challenge, Expert
- Rules, worked examples and full solutions
Stuck? A few nudges
- Puzzle 2 is a well-known proverb about the kitchen.
- Puzzle 4 was written by an American author about a newspaper story.
- Puzzle 5 is from Benjamin Franklin and involves house guests.
- Puzzle 7 is a famous line about teachers from George Bernard Shaw.
- Puzzle 9 is about a "peace" that isn't quite as peaceful as it sounds.
Want more? Free large-print PDFs
Finished all ten? We have two free printable packs of 10 large-print cryptograms each, taken from our cryptogram books: one of witty quotes and one of uplifting quotes. Each PDF has a how-to page, big letter boxes to write in, a key table under every puzzle and all the answers with their sources.
Free printable puzzle packs
Print-ready PDFs with the rules, 10 to 12 puzzles and every answer. Tick as many packs as you like, and print as many copies as you want for home or the classroom.
Play a new cryptogram every day
If you enjoy these, try Cipher, our free daily cryptogram. Every day there's a new famous quote to crack, with a few letters given to get you started, and you can play unlimited practice puzzles too. It's a lovely five-minute habit for word lovers, with no account needed. Our guide to cryptogram puzzle games explains more strategies.
A short history of cryptograms
Substitution ciphers are ancient. Julius Caesar is said to have shifted each letter of his messages a few places along the alphabet, which is why the simplest shift cipher still carries his name. For centuries, codes like these were serious tools of war and diplomacy, until codebreakers learned to crack them using letter frequencies, the same trick you're using on this page.
As puzzles, cryptograms became popular in the nineteenth century. Edgar Allan Poe challenged magazine readers to send him ciphers to solve, and his story "The Gold-Bug" (1843) follows a hero who cracks a coded message by counting letters. Puzzle magazines and newspapers have printed cryptograms ever since, and the American Cryptogram Association has been publishing them for its members for nearly a century.
How the difficulty levels work
On this page, the easy puzzles give you two hint letters and use short, very familiar sayings. The medium puzzles give one hint and have a few longer words. The hard puzzles also give one hint, but use less common words, so you'll rely more on patterns and frequency. If you want an extra challenge, cover the hint and try without it.
Why cryptograms are so satisfying
Cryptograms combine two kinds of thinking: the logic of codebreaking and the intuition of language. Early on, you're working with letter frequencies and patterns; later, a half-finished word suddenly jumps out ("_HE" must be THE!) and the rest falls into place. Because every quote is a real saying, the reward at the end is something worth reading. Funny quotes, like the ones on this page, add a final smile.
Print-friendly tip
These puzzles print best with your browser's print option set to "Portrait" and "Simplify page" or "Reader mode" if available, which removes menus and leaves just the text.
Using cryptograms with groups
Cryptograms are great for classrooms, clubs and parties:
- Classrooms: they practise spelling, vocabulary and logical thinking. Older students can make their own codes for classmates.
- Puzzle clubs and care homes: a page of cryptograms is a cheap, absorbing group activity. Large-print copies are easy to make by zooming in before printing.
- Parties and escape-room games: hide a coded message that reveals the next clue.
Make your own
Want to make a cryptogram for a friend? Write a short quote, write the alphabet in a line, then write a jumbled alphabet underneath it, making sure no letter sits under itself. Replace each letter of the quote using your key. Give your friend one or two letters as a hint, and keep the key to check their answer.
More printables
Love paper puzzles? We also have free printable logic puzzles for adults and logic puzzles for kids, each with twelve puzzles and full answers.
Answers
Scroll down only when you're ready!
- The squeaky wheel gets the grease. (Traditional proverb)
- Too many cooks spoil the broth. (Traditional proverb)
- I can resist everything except temptation. (Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan, 1892)
- The report of my death was an exaggeration. (Mark Twain, 1897)
- Fish and visitors stink in three days. (Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1736)
- Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead. (Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1735)
- He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches. (George Bernard Shaw, Maxims for Revolutionists, 1903)
- Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. (G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1908)
- Nobody ever forgets where he buried a hatchet. (Kin Hubbard)
- Love is like the measles; we all have to go through it. (Jerome K. Jerome, 1886)
Prefer paper?
Our puzzles, in a book
Star Battle & Takuzu
120 Logic Puzzles for Adults, Warm-Up to Expert
The paper versions of Queens and Tango: one star per row, column and region, and balanced grids of ● and ○. Big 6.6-inch grids, one puzzle per page.
- 120 puzzles, each with exactly one solution
- 3 levels: Warm-Up, Challenge, Expert
- Rules, worked examples and full solutions
Logic Puzzles for Kids
120 Star and Sun & Moon Brain Games, Ages 6–10
Kid-sized versions of our crown and sun-and-moon puzzles, from little 4×4 grids up. Screen-free thinking for road trips, quiet time and classrooms.
- 120 puzzles in 3 levels: Easy, Medium, Tricky
- Picture rules and secret tricks
- Answers, a make-your-own page and a certificate
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Where to go next
- Try it yourself in Lexicon, or jump straight to today's board.
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Frequently asked questions
Where can I find free printable cryptograms with answers?
This page has ten printable cryptograms of famous funny quotes, from easy to hard, with a hint for each puzzle and all the answers at the bottom.
How do you solve a cryptogram?
Fill in the hint letters, then look for one-letter words (A or I), common three-letter words like THE, short words like OF and TO, and repeated-letter patterns.
What is the most common letter in cryptograms?
In English, E is the most common letter, followed by T, A, O, I and N, so the most frequent coded letter is often E.
Is there a daily cryptogram online?
Yes. Cipher on Puzzle Theory has a free daily cryptogram plus unlimited practice puzzles, with no account needed.
Can I make my own cryptogram?
Yes. Write a jumbled alphabet under the normal one, making sure no letter sits under itself, and replace each letter of your quote using that key.
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