Medium cryptograms: reading patterns, not just letters
Medium quotes in the built-in library run from 19 to 68 letters, with a median of 51, and average twelve words. Two starter letters are revealed. That is enough to anchor the puzzle but not enough to read it, so most of the work is pattern recognition.
Use repeated-letter patterns
A cipher keeps the shape of every word. If a cipher word has the pattern 1-2-2-1, such as XQQX, very few English words fit. Patterns with doubled letters narrow the options fastest:
- Double letters in the middle of a word are most often LL, EE, SS, OO or TT.
- A four-letter word ending in a double is often WILL, TELL, FULL or PASS.
- A word that starts and ends with the same letter, such as THAT, HIGH or ELSE (pattern 1-2-3-1), rules out most four-letter words at once.
Count before you guess
With around 50 letters, frequency counts start to mean something. The letter that appears most often is usually E, T, A or O. Check your candidate against short words: if your E guess turns a three-letter word into something impossible, drop it and try the next most likely letter.
Recognise the source
Many quotes are well known. Once half the words are in place, ask who might have said it. Recognising a famous line from a book, film or speech often fills the rest in one go, and it is a legitimate part of solving.
Frequently asked questions
How many letters are revealed on medium?
Two, chosen from the most frequent letters in the quote.
What is the difference between easy and medium?
Medium quotes are longer (median 51 letters against 36) and start with two revealed letters instead of three.