Large-Print Hard Cryptograms — Free Printable
Longer proverbs in code with no letters filled in at all. Count the code letters, look for repeated words and patterns, and say the line aloud once a few words appear.
Hard Cryptograms
Above each code letter, write the letter it stands for, the same every time.
3 coded sayings, each written as rows of squares with a code letter under each square.
Answer key
Hard cryptograms · the sayings, in order
Puzzle 1
A penny saved is a penny earned.
Puzzle 2
Two wrongs don't make a right.
Puzzle 3
Lightning never strikes twice in the same place.
Stuck?
A one-letter word is A or I, and THE is the most common three-letter word. After an apostrophe, a single letter is usually S or T. The code letter you see most often is a good guess for E. Our tips, with a worked example, are at sunroomgames.com/guides/cryptogram-tips.
Printing tips
- Use Letter paper (8.5 × 11 in). The puzzles print on page 1, three to a page (two when a saying is long), and the answer key on page 2.
- Only want the puzzles? In the print window, choose to print page 1 only.
- Set the scale to 100% (it may be called "Default" or "Actual size") so the squares print full size.
- To keep a copy, pick "Save as PDF" as the printer.
- Free to print and copy for home, classroom and care-home use.
How to solve a cryptogram
Each puzzle is a well-known proverb in a simple code: every letter has been swapped for another, and the same code letter always stands for the same letter. Write the letter you think it stands for in the square above each code letter, and fill in the same letter wherever that code letter appears. No letter ever stands for itself.
Start with the short words: a one-letter word is A or I, and THE is the most common three-letter word. A single letter after an apostrophe is usually S or T, and the code letter you see most often is a good guess for E. Our cryptogram tips walk through a whole puzzle step by step. You can also play cryptograms online, with big letter keys and hints.
For groups
Cryptograms make a good group activity: read the coded words aloud, or put one up on a board and solve it together, with everyone calling out guesses. Familiar sayings spark conversation once they're solved, too. Every puzzle is numbered, and the page's address keeps the sheet, so you can print the same one again or share the link. For more ideas, see our guide to puzzles for groups.