Easy cryptograms: where to start
Easy cryptograms are short. In the built-in library the median easy quote has 36 letters, about eight words, and the longest is 52 letters. Three of the most frequent cipher letters are already decoded when the puzzle opens, so a good part of the quote is readable before you place a single letter.
That makes this level the right place to learn the method rather than to struggle with it. Every technique you use here carries straight over to the harder levels.
A first-puzzle routine
Work through the quote in the same order each time. It turns guessing into a checklist.
- Read the three starter letters in place and look for a word they almost complete.
- Find one-letter words. In English they are almost always A or I.
- Look for an apostrophe. A single letter after it is usually S or T; two letters are usually RE, VE or LL.
- Try THE on any three-letter word whose last letter repeats often elsewhere.
- Fill the remaining gaps from the words you can now half-read.
Why short quotes can still trip you up
Short quotes give you less frequency evidence. In a 36-letter quote, E might appear only three times, so "the most common cipher letter is E" is a weaker rule than it is in a long passage. Lean on word shapes instead: a two-letter word next to a three-letter word is often OF THE, IN THE or TO THE.
When to move up
If you solve easy puzzles without using a hint, try medium. Medium quotes are about 40% longer and give you one fewer starter letter, which is a noticeable but fair step.
Frequently asked questions
How many letters are revealed on easy?
Three. They are always the three most frequent letters in that quote, so they reveal as much of the text as possible.
Is the daily cryptogram an easy puzzle?
Not always. The daily puzzle can be any difficulty. Practice puzzles on this page are always easy and never repeat the day's daily quote.