Cryptogram Puzzles - Solve Free Cryptograms Online (2024)

What is a Cryptogram

A cryptogram is a clever method to create and write secret messages. In essence, it is a code that hides a piece of text.

Although the words cipher and cryptogram are often used interchangeably, they are different. While the first may include numbers or other symbols as part of its code, cryptography implied the use of an only-alphabet code.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that cryptograms are easier to solve. It all depends on the rules governing the replacement of the letters. The exchange may follow a sequence, be intertwined, alternative, or completely random.

What are cryptogram puzzles?

Cryptogram puzzles are a type of word game whose popularity has been increasing thanks to the internet and the simple and easy gameplay offered by electronic devices.

As the name already suggests, this word game is based on cryptography, with the players having to solve a code of letter replacement. The game can take different forms. It can contain only single words, a personalized message or be a piece of text from anywhere (e.g. from ads or newspapers). The most popular, however, are the cryptoquotes.

What are cryptoquotes?

Cryptoquote is a combination of the words cryptogram and quote. They are a very specific type of cryptogram puzzle that hide popular quotes or sayings by famous personalities, celebrities, or well-known fictional characters.

In other words, cryptoquotes have a component of trivia associated with them. The puzzles always indicate the author of the quote which may serve as a clue to the subject of the cryptogram if the players are familiar with the person in question. Nevertheless, knowing the author is never a requirement to solve the puzzle.

How to play

In this cryptogram game, the players need to decode several encrypted quotes. They can see the code and the numbers of words and letters in the quote but have no other information. No letter is provided from the beginning. If they need any help, the players can use up to two hints to reveal 2 correspondences.

A letter in the code only has one alphabetical correspondence. Repeated letters will light up in a different color as a warning. For example, if an F is being used as the right correspondence for both an A and a T, then the F will be highlighted.

A victory message will appear when the quote is correctly decoded. If no message is displayed, then there must be an error somewhere in the puzzle. Please recheck the code and reread the cryptoquote to ensure it is grammatically correct and every word is rightly spelled.

You can solve as many cryptograms online as you want on our website. There is no daily limit and all our cryptogram puzzles are free. Additionally, every puzzle is set as a printable cryptogram so you can take it with you anywhere and try to solve it the traditional way, with pen and paper.

How to solve a cryptogram

When trying to solve a cryptogram puzzle it is always good to keep a few strategies in mind as well as your own knowledge of the English language.

Look for contractions and possessives: these can help you reduce your options to decode up to two letters. After the apostrophe, the only options are: ‘t, ‘s, ‘d, ‘m, ‘re, ‘ve and ‘ll.

Search for one-letter words: the only 1-letter words commonly used in English are ‘I’ and ‘A’. Unless the quote is archaic or poetic, these are the only options you need to focus on.

Check for double letters: common double letters include ‘SS’, ‘RR’, ‘OO’, ‘EE’, ‘LL’, so keep these in mind if you find a code with a double.

Consider the digraphs: these are pairs of letters that can be often found together. For example: ‘CH’, ‘SH’, ‘TH’, ‘WH’, ‘PH’, or ‘EX’.

Do not forget about common beginnings and endings: the longer the quote or the words it contains the harder it is to solve the cryptogram. In these cases, it will do well to remember common prefixes (‘DE-’, ‘PRE-’, ‘UN-’; ‘RE-’, ‘DIS-’, ‘EN-’, ‘MIS–’) and suffixes (‘-ING’, ‘-MENT’, ‘-NESS’, ‘-EST’, ‘-ABLE’, ‘-TION’, ‘-LY’, ‘-OUS’.)

Check whose quote it is: knowing the person behind the quote can give you some hints. For example, if you know that it comes from Martin Luther King Jr., then you can make an educated guess and expect to find words such as ‘freedom’ or ‘rights’.

For more detailed strategies to beat any puzzle, be sure to check our blog article on tips for solving cryptograms.

Cryptogram Puzzles - Solve Free Cryptograms Online (2024)

FAQs

What is the strategy for solving cryptograms? ›

Cryptography 101: Basic solving techniques for substitution ciphers
  1. Scan through the cipher, looking for single-letter words. ...
  2. Count how many times each symbol appears in the puzzle. ...
  3. Pencil in your guesses over the ciphertext. ...
  4. Look for apostrophes. ...
  5. Look for repeating letter patterns.
Sep 27, 2021

How do you solve cryptograms problems? ›

By trying each of the possible letters (excluding those you've already found) wherever the same cryptoletter is used, you can narrow down the possibilities. Look for places which can take the fewest different letters. Of course, some cryptograms might contain foreign words or names, so use caution.

Is cryptogram free? ›

Enjoy Cryptograms, a free puzzle game from Razzle Puzzles where the goal is to decode famous quotes! If you like interesting quotes and word puzzles, you will love Cryptograms!

What is the trick to solving puzzles? ›

Sort your pieces by color and pattern. These are the most easily-distinguished features and they offer a way to break the puzzle into a series of manageable sub-tasks. Also, set aside corner and edge pieces. Optional tip: Divide your piles into smaller collections of pieces based on their number of tabs and blanks.

What is the cryptogram code? ›

Cryptograms in newspapers and magazines are usually based on a simple substitution cipher, often replacing each letter in the alphabet with a different one. The letter A, for example, might be represented by the letter K, while the letter K is represented by the letter R.

What is cryptograms substitution code? ›

General Substitution Ciphers substitute one letter of the alphabet with another letter or symbol. For example, in a piece of text the word THE may be replaced by the word FSQ, where F represents T, and S represents H, and Q represents an E. This will keep the message secret from prying eyes.

What are the rules for cryptograms? ›

A cryptogram is a puzzle with an encrypted message, where each letter in the message has been substituted by another letter of the alphabet. As you guess each substitution, add the letter everywhere it occurs in the puzzle, and the message will start to reveal itself.

How many levels does cryptogram have? ›

There are a total of 600+ levels and if you can complete them all, you will become a true puzzle master!

How do cryptogram puzzles work? ›

Substitution ciphers where each letter is replaced by a different letter or number are frequently used. To solve the puzzle, one must recover the original lettering. Though once used in more serious applications, they are now mainly printed for entertainment in newspapers and magazines.

How much is the cryptogram app? ›

Cryptogram is a free application and its core features are available to all users for free.

Are cryptograms good for the brain? ›

Cryptograms can improve memory, focus, and concentration. To solve the puzzle, it's necessary to pay close attention to details and use their brains in a variety of ways.

How to decode any code? ›

Start looking for single-letter words in the message.

If you've got "a - -" solved, you know it would most regularly be "are" or "and." Guess and check. If it doesn't work, go back and try the other options. Be patient and go slowly. Don't worry as much about "cracking" the code as learning to read it.

What is the most strategic way to do a puzzle? ›

Our Top 7 Tricks To Complete Puzzles Like The Pros
  1. Make sure you have enough space and good lighting. ...
  2. Turn all the pieces up the right way. ...
  3. Start with the borders. ...
  4. Sort the pieces into similar colours and build from there. ...
  5. Work on smaller images within the bigger image.
Aug 20, 2021

Do cryptograms help your brain? ›

Aids in cognitive development and problem-solving skills

Cryptograms can improve memory, focus, and concentration. To solve the puzzle, it's necessary to pay close attention to details and use their brains in a variety of ways.

How to solve a cryptogram with symbols? ›

To start out, look for the most frequent letter (or symbol) in each cryptogram — you'll find it's almost always E. Single-letter words will be A or I. The words THE, AND, and THAT are the most commonly seen short words in English. Double letters and apostrophes are also helpful when cracking ciphers.

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