Cryptogram Maker
Turn a quote into a printable cryptogram puzzle.
About this tool
Type a quote or message and, optionally, its author. Choose how many letters to give away as hints, generate a new cipher if you like, then print the puzzle and its answer key.
How cryptograms work
A cryptogram is a quote encoded with a simple substitution cipher: each letter of the alphabet is replaced by a different letter, consistently throughout. Puzzle solvers crack it with patterns. One-letter words are almost always A or I, common three-letter words are THE and AND, apostrophes are often followed by S or T, and doubled letters like LL, EE, SS and OO narrow the options. Letter frequency helps too: E, T, A and O are the most common in English. This tool makes a random substitution in which no letter stands for itself (a derangement), just like newspaper cryptograms, and lays each coded letter under a blank for the solver. Encoding the author's name gives an extra clue. To make it easier, give away the most frequent letters as starting hints. A different cipher for the same quote is one click away, and the sheet number lets you reprint the same puzzle. Honest limits: this is a puzzle, not real encryption. Substitution ciphers have been breakable by frequency analysis for over a thousand years, which is what makes them fun. Numbers and punctuation stay as they are. The Caesar cipher tool and the crossword maker are related.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cryptogram puzzle?
A quote written in a substitution cipher, where each letter is consistently replaced by another, for you to decode.
How do you solve a cryptogram?
Start with one-letter words (A or I), common short words (THE, AND), apostrophes and repeated letter patterns, then use letter frequency.
Can a letter stand for itself?
Not in these puzzles; every letter is replaced by a different one.
Is a cryptogram secure encryption?
No. Simple substitution is easily broken, which is why it works as a puzzle.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. Everything is generated in your browser, and nothing is stored or sent.