How do you solve a cryptogram?

Start with the short words: a one-letter word is almost always A or I, and common three-letter words are THE and AND. Look for an apostrophe followed by one letter (usually S or T). Use the letter counts: the most frequent code letters often stand for E, T, A or O. Every letter you place fills in everywhere, which gives you new clues.

How do I play on this page?

The first code letter is already selected: tap the real letter on the keyboard below (or type it on your own keyboard), and every copy of that code letter fills in at once. Tap any other code letter to work on it. Use Hint to reveal a letter and Check to see which letters are wrong.

What is the daily cryptogram?

Every day there is one new puzzle, the same for everyone; the next one appears at midnight, your own time. Your progress is saved in this browser, so you can stop and come back later the same day.

How hard are the puzzles?

Easy puzzles are short and start with three letters filled in. Medium puzzles are longer with one letter given. Hard puzzles are the longest and give you nothing. Choose the level and the topics you like under Puzzles.

Can I print cryptograms?

Yes. Open the Print tab, choose how many puzzles you want and the level, and print. The answers come on the last page, so the sheet works for class or a puzzle book.

Do I need to sign up or download an app?

No. There is no account and nothing to install. Open the page and play, on a phone, a tablet or a computer. It is free.

Game

Cryptogram Puzzles

Every letter of a saying has been swapped for another letter: crack the code. Tap a code letter and type the real one, use a hint when you are stuck, play the daily cryptogram, challenge a friend with the same puzzle or print a sheet. No sign-up, no app.

Updated October 20, 2026 · Free, no sign-up

✓ No sign-up✓ No app to install✓ Free

439 puzzles: proverbs, sayings and lines written for Linguaholic.

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What is a cryptogram?

A cryptogram is a puzzle in which a short text, usually a proverb or a saying, is written in a simple code: every letter has been swapped for another letter. The same code letter always stands for the same real letter, and no letter stands for itself. You win by working out the real letters until the saying reads again. Word lovers have been solving them in newspapers and puzzle books for over a hundred years.

Here you solve them on screen: tap a code letter, type the real one, and every copy fills in at once. No sign-up and no app: there is a new daily cryptogram every day at midnight (your time), 439 puzzles to play any time, and sheets to print.

How to solve a cryptogram

Start with the short words. A one-letter word is A or I. A three-letter word that appears twice is probably THE or AND.
Look at the apostrophes. One letter after an apostrophe is usually S or T; two letters are often LL, RE or VE.
Count the letters. Open Letter counts: the most common code letters often stand for E, T, A, O, I or N, the most common letters in English.
Use patterns. A word like XYZZX has a double letter in the middle and starts and ends with the same letter. Words with repeated letters (LITTLE, PEOPLE, BETTER) are easy to spot.
Let every letter help. Each letter you place fills in across the whole puzzle and turns half-words into new clues. When you are stuck, a hint reveals one letter.

Cryptogram puzzles to try

Two cryptogram puzzles to solve, an easy and a medium one, with boxes above the code letters, the rules, tips for solving and the answers upside down — Two puzzles to crack, the rules, and the answers upside down.

Common words to look for

Word length	Most likely words
One letter	A, I
Two letters	OF, TO, IN, IT, IS, BE, AS, AT, SO, WE, HE, BY, OR, ON, DO, IF, ME, MY, UP, AN, GO, NO, US
Three letters	THE, AND, FOR, ARE, BUT, NOT, YOU, ALL, ANY, CAN, HAD, HER, WAS, ONE, OUR, OUT
Four letters	THAT, WITH, HAVE, THIS, WILL, YOUR, FROM, THEY, KNOW, WANT, BEEN, GOOD, MUCH, SOME, TIME
After an apostrophe	S (it’s), T (don’t), LL (you’ll), RE (you’re), VE (we’ve), D (I’d)

Cryptogram examples

Try these in your head; the answers are in the last column.

Level	Cryptogram	Answer
Easy	RTKZCQO OMNRA WCVPNG KBRQ UCGPO.	Actions speak louder than words.
Medium	IKA'G JKHAG DKHC JQTJZUAO VUSKCU GQUD QEGJQ.	Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Hard	MFQ KCB YOCA C TFGEO PF ZCPOG, LQP MFQ KCB'P RCIO XP AGXBI.	You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

Levels and topics

Level	What you get	Puzzles
Easy	Short sayings, three letters given	136
Medium	Longer sayings, one letter given	172
Hard	The longest sayings, no letters given	131

Topics: proverbs, wisdom, funny, friendship, love, nature, words & books, winter. The puzzles are traditional proverbs and sayings, which belong to everyone, and lines written for Linguaholic. Every puzzle is family-friendly.

Cryptograms for the classroom

Cryptograms train spelling, letter patterns and logical thinking, and they are a quiet favorite for early finishers. Print a sheet with the starting letters filled in for younger students, or put the daily puzzle on the board and solve it as a class. The answers are on the last page of every printed sheet.

Got a cryptogram from somewhere else?

Paste it into our Substitution Cipher Decoder. Its cryptogram solver works out the letters for you, and you can fix any letter yourself. For other secret codes, try the Caesar cipher or the Atbash cipher.

Is it private?

Yes. The puzzles are made in your browser, your daily progress stays in this browser, and nothing is sent anywhere. There is no account.

More word puzzles: Rebus Puzzles, the Anagram Game and Hangman.

For teachers, bloggers & clubs

Put the Cryptogram Puzzles on your website

Give your readers this game right on your page. Copy the code, paste it into your site, done: no sign-up, no account.

Free for any website
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Fits phones and sidebars
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Frequently asked questions

What is a cryptogram?: A cryptogram is a short text, usually a saying or a quote, in which every letter has been replaced by another letter. The same code letter always stands for the same real letter, and no letter stands for itself. You crack it by working out which letter is which.
How do you solve a cryptogram?: Start with the short words: a one-letter word is almost always A or I, and common three-letter words are THE and AND. Look for an apostrophe followed by one letter (usually S or T). Use the letter counts: the most frequent code letters often stand for E, T, A or O. Every letter you place fills in everywhere, which gives you new clues.
How do I play on this page?: The first code letter is already selected: tap the real letter on the keyboard below (or type it on your own keyboard), and every copy of that code letter fills in at once. Tap any other code letter to work on it. Use Hint to reveal a letter and Check to see which letters are wrong.
What is the daily cryptogram?: Every day there is one new puzzle, the same for everyone; the next one appears at midnight, your own time. Your progress is saved in this browser, so you can stop and come back later the same day.
How hard are the puzzles?: Easy puzzles are short and start with three letters filled in. Medium puzzles are longer with one letter given. Hard puzzles are the longest and give you nothing. Choose the level and the topics you like under Puzzles.
Can I print cryptograms?: Yes. Open the Print tab, choose how many puzzles you want and the level, and print. The answers come on the last page, so the sheet works for class or a puzzle book.
Can I solve a cryptogram from a newspaper here?: This page has its own puzzles. To crack a cryptogram you have from somewhere else, paste it into our Substitution Cipher Decoder; its solver works out the letters for you.
Do I need to sign up or download an app?: No. There is no account and nothing to install. Open the page and play, on a phone, a tablet or a computer. It is free.

About this page

The Cryptogram Puzzles is a free game from Linguaholic, made by Marcel Iseli. It runs in your browser, with no sign-up. Last updated October 20, 2026.

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