A cryptogram takes a phrase and swaps every letter for another, consistently. The solver works out the substitution. It is the puzzle type with the highest ratio of satisfaction to effort — and the one where the input matters most.
1. Type the phrase
One field in the cryptogram maker: Secret phrase. Type or paste anything and the encoding happens as you type.
Spaces and punctuation are preserved, which is not a cosmetic choice — word lengths and apostrophes are most of what a solver works from. A cryptogram with the spaces stripped out is a substantially different, much harder puzzle.
2. Choose a phrase that can actually be solved
This is where cryptograms are made or ruined, and the software cannot do it for you.
| Good | Bad | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 40–90 characters | Under 30 — nothing repeats |
| Words | Several short ones | One long compound phrase |
| Vocabulary | Everyday | Technical or archaic |
| Names | None, or one familiar | Several proper nouns |
Proper nouns are the usual mistake: a name follows no spelling pattern, so it becomes a dead zone rather than a foothold. Choosing a quote covers how solvers actually get in.
3. Regenerate for a different code
Generate new re-shuffles the substitution. Same phrase, entirely different puzzle — useful if you want the same quote for two classes, or a fresh one after showing an example on the board.
A difficulty recipe you can repeat
| Audience | Phrase | Starting help |
|---|---|---|
| First-time solver | 40–55 characters, everyday words | Reveal the most frequent letter |
| General | 55–90 characters, mixed word lengths | Reveal one common letter or none |
| Challenge | 90+ characters, fewer short words | No revealed letters |
Change one variable at a time. A long phrase with rare vocabulary and no revealed letters is not three times more interesting; it is three separate barriers between the solver and the first deduction.
Test the first three deductions
You do not have to solve the whole puzzle before publishing it. Work only until you can place three letters with confidence. Look for one-letter words, repeated two-letter words, apostrophes and the most common coded symbol. If none of those creates a foothold, reveal the most frequent letter or choose a phrase with more ordinary sentence structure.
Use a phrase you wrote, have permission to reproduce or know is in the public domain when the finished cryptogram will be published or sold. The substitution changes the letters on the page, not the ownership of the original wording.
4. Print it properly
Two things every printed cryptogram needs, and half of them lack: a line under each blank so there is somewhere to write, and the coded letter printed small beneath it so the solver can find every other occurrence of that letter.
Both are in the exported sheet here. Check the preview anyway — if a word breaks across two lines, shorten the phrase. A word split in half loses its shape, and shape is what the solver is reading.
5. Or play it on screen
Press Play and the whole pleasure of the format works properly: choose a letter, and every occurrence of it fills in at once across the message. A letter used twice is flagged in red, because no two coded letters can decode to the same one.
Share sends it as a link. It is the puzzle type that works best on a phone, because there is nothing to drag — just tap and choose.