What is a Cryptogram Puzzle?
Cryptoquotes or cryptograms are “substitution cyphers”. In other words, each of the posted “words” in the puzzle have been coded and each letter actually stands for another letter. For instance, the “word” NFX is coded and is actually the word THE. In all cases throughout that given puzzle N=T, F=H, and X=E.
Look for Hints!
Your goal is to decipher the cryptogram puzzle. This can be done using hints, looking for patterns, and trying some educated guesses. Some cryptoquotes are from Popes – this would present a letter pattern. Other quotes are from saints and often those saints are marked by where they are from – Saint Bob of Sweden. Seeing those two coded letters between the name and place would indicate – of – thus giving us another hint. Often, the image associated with the puzzle is also a hint (usually the author of the quote).
Things to Look For
In the completed puzzle below, the hint is J=V. Well there’s only two J’s in the entire puzzle thus only to V’s. However, if you look a the first J (in the 3rd word) it has a Q on each side. An educated (or lucky) guess would tell us that the Q’s are actually E’s because in most cases that is the place we’ll find the letter V between two identical letters – EVE, EVERY, EVEN, EVER, etc. A “V” between other vowels is possible but less common so substituting the letter E for the letter Q is a good place to start.
As you begin filling in letters, ask yourself if it makes sense. For instance if you thought the H in this puzzle was the letter E, you may pause at the “HL” word. Substituting E for H in this case wouldn’t make much sense because very few two-letter words begin with the letter E.
Daily Posts
Each day I’ll post the puzzle with a hint or two although not all hints will be obvious (insert evil laugh). The answers will be posted on the following day. If you want more free cryptoquote puzzles, download some of the best cryptoquote puzzles from the book Secret Messages from the Saints or get the book. Puzzles and answers are posted everyday so be sure to subscribe, print, and play everyday!
Secret Messages from the Saints 