How to play the Cryptogram
A cryptogram is a familiar saying written in a simple code: every letter has been swapped for a different one. Wherever the code shows a K, for example, the saying might have an E. Your job is to crack the code and reveal the saying. Each puzzle is a well-known proverb, so once a few words appear, the rest often falls into place.
Filling in letters
- Tap a letter in the code. It lights up everywhere it appears.
- Type the letter you think it stands for, with the big letter keys or your keyboard. It fills in every place that code letter appears, and the next empty letter is chosen for you.
- A letter can stand for only one code letter, so if you use a letter again elsewhere, it moves to the new place. The letter keys fade the letters you've already used.
- Delete clears the chosen letter, and Undo takes back your last change. Letters filled in to start show in blue and are always right.
- No letter ever stands for itself: if the code shows an A, the answer there isn't A.
Levels and hints
On Easy, about a third of the letters are filled in to start; on Medium, a few; and on Hard, none, with longer sayings to give you more to work with. Hint fills in the right letter for the code letter you've chosen, or for the most common one that isn't right yet. To see your mistakes, turn on "Show wrong letters in red as I go" in Settings, where you can also pick the level for new puzzles.
Tips for cracking the code
- Start with short words. A one-letter word is almost always A or I, and the most common three-letter word is THE.
- Look at apostrophes. A single letter after an apostrophe is usually S or T (as in IT'S and DON'T).
- Count the code letters. E is the most common letter in English, followed by T, A and O. The code letter you see most often is a good guess for one of them.
- Think of proverbs. Once you have a word or two, say it aloud: a familiar saying often jumps out.
Questions
Where do the sayings come from?
They're classic English proverbs, the kind passed down for generations, like "A stitch in time saves nine" and "Many hands make light work." We chose sayings rather than famous quotations, which are very often credited to the wrong person.
Is there a new puzzle every day?
Yes. Today's cryptogram is a Medium puzzle, the same for everyone, and changes at midnight. Solving it counts towards your streak on the daily puzzles page.
Can I print it?
Yes. Our large-print printables put three cryptograms on a Letter page (two when a saying is long), with roomy squares to write in and the answers on page 2, at every level: Easy, Medium and Hard. The link under the puzzle prints the one you're playing, with more at the same level.
Does it save my place?
Yes. Your puzzle saves itself in this browser as you go, so you can close the page and come back later.