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Cryptogram

Crack the code to reveal a classic quote.

Play today's daily

How to play Cryptogram

Goal

Work out which letter each code letter stands for and reveal the hidden quote.

  1. 1Every letter in the quote has been swapped for a different letter.
  2. 2Select a code letter and type your guess. Every matching code letter fills in at once.
  3. 3Use the symbol counts and short words like THE, AND or A to get started.
  4. 4A hint reveals one letter but adds 30 seconds to your time.

On a computer

Type a letter to fill the selected symbol. Arrow keys move, Backspace clears.

On a phone

Tap a letter in the quote, then tap a key on the on-screen keyboard.

Play Cryptogram free online. Decode a famous quote written in a letter substitution cipher, with hints, letter counts and a fresh puzzle every day.

Cryptogram tips and strategy

  • Start with one letter words. In English they are almost always A or I.
  • The most common code letter often stands for E, T, A or O. Check the counts panel.
  • Three letter words that repeat are very often THE or AND.
  • An apostrophe usually comes before S, T, D, LL or RE, as in IT'S, DON'T or WE'LL.
  • Double letters are often LL, EE, SS, OO or TT.
  • No letter ever stands for itself, which can rule out a guess quickly.
  • If you are stuck, take one hint on a long word. It usually unlocks several others.

About Cryptogram

A cryptogram is a short quote written in a simple code. Every letter has been replaced by a different letter, and the same code letter always stands for the same real letter. Your job is to break the code. When you type a guess for one code letter, every place it appears in the quote fills in at once, so a single good guess can open up the whole line.

Substitution ciphers like this have been around for centuries, and newspaper word puzzles have used them for well over a hundred years. Our quotes come from classic writers whose work is in the public domain, such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain, along with traditional proverbs. Each solved puzzle shows the author.

Choose Easy for shorter quotes with a few letters already revealed, Medium for a single starting letter, or Hard for longer quotes with no help. The symbol count panel shows how often each code letter appears, which is the classic way to start. Your score is your solving time plus 30 seconds for each hint, and unfinished puzzles are saved.

Cryptogram FAQ

How do you solve a cryptogram?

Look for short words, repeated patterns and the most frequent letters. Guess a likely letter, see if the words around it still make sense, and build from there.

Can a letter stand for itself?

No. In our puzzles every letter is replaced by a different one.

What happens when I fill every letter but it is wrong?

The wrong letters are marked in red so you can fix them. There is no penalty for mistakes.

Where do the quotes come from?

Classic public domain writers and traditional proverbs. The author appears when you solve the puzzle.

Is there a daily cryptogram?

Yes. Everyone gets the same coded quote each day, and you can share your time.

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