A cryptogram is a famous quote with every letter swapped for a different one. Your job is to work out the substitution and read the quote back. There is one new cryptogram every day, and you get three mistakes and a single hint to solve it.
How to play Cryptogram
Tap any numbered square in the quote to select it, then type the letter you think it stands for.
Every square sharing that number takes the same letter, so one good guess can open up several words at once.
A letter can only stand for one other letter, so once you've used a letter it's committed until you change it.
Wrong letters cost you one of three mistakes; run out and the day is over.
The hint button reveals one letter, and you only get one per puzzle.
Decode every letter to finish, and the quote's author is revealed at the end.
Start with the one-letter words
If the puzzle contains a single-letter word, it is almost certainly A or I — that is two guesses covering one of the most common squares on the board. Say the ciphered word is 7. Trying A there fills in every 7 in the grid, and if a three-letter word then reads 7-19-4, you are looking at a word starting with A, which narrows it to a short list like AND, ARE, ALL or ANY.
Cryptogram strategy
Count the letters before you guess
The most frequent square in an English cryptogram is usually E, followed by T, A, O, I and N. Scan the grid and find the number that appears most often — trying E there is the single highest-percentage opening move in the game.
Word shapes give away more than letters
Two-letter words are a tiny set: OF, TO, IN, IT, IS, BE, AS, AT, SO, WE, HE, BY, OR, ON, DO, IF, ME, MY, UP, AN, GO, NO, US, AM. Three-letter words are dominated by THE and AND. Solving one of these usually cascades into three or four others.
Look for doubled letters
A repeated pair inside a word is a strong clue: LL, EE, SS, OO, TT and FF cover most cases. A doubled square at the end of a word is very often LL or SS.
Use apostrophes
A letter after an apostrophe is nearly always S, T, or the RE/VE/LL endings. An apostrophe followed by a single square is S or T more than nine times out of ten.
Spend the hint when you're stuck, not when you're stalled
One hint per puzzle makes it a genuine resource. Save it for a puzzle where no word has cracked at all — using it on a letter you would have deduced anyway wastes the only safety net you have against the three-mistake limit.
Frequently asked questions
How many mistakes can I make in a cryptogram?
Three. Each wrong letter counts as one mistake, and the third ends that day's puzzle.
Do I get a hint?
One per puzzle. It reveals a single letter everywhere it appears in the quote.
Does the same letter always stand for the same letter?
Yes. The substitution is consistent across the whole quote, which is exactly what makes it solvable — every letter you place is information about the rest of the grid.
Can I play yesterday's cryptogram?
The playable puzzle is always today's, but you can read the hints and answer for past days in the cryptogram archive.
Is there a new cryptogram every day?
Yes, a new quote is published every day, and everyone playing that day gets the same one.
Do I need an account?
No. The puzzle is free and there is no sign-up — your progress is stored in your own browser.