Free cryptogram maker, printable

Cracking a cryptogram

Every letter in the message has been swapped for a different letter (or a number), and the same swap is used all the way through. So if Q stands for E once, it stands for E everywhere.

• Start with short words. A one-letter word is almost always A or I. Common three-letter words are THE and AND.
• Look for the most common code. E, T, A and O are the most used letters in English.
• Use the apostrophes. A letter after an apostrophe is often S or T.
• Stuck? Press Hint for one letter, or Check to see which guesses are wrong.

Your own cryptogram generator

You'll describe it to a free AI assistant, paste what it writes into a file, and open it in your browser. No coding needed.

Build it in five steps

Step 1 gives you a simple version that works, and each step after it adds more. Yours will look a bit different from the one above, because the AI writes its own version each time.

1. Ask for the cryptogram maker

   Copy this prompt into your AI assistant:

   Copy this promptCopy

   I don't know how to code. Please make me a cryptogram maker that runs in a web browser.
   
   Requirements:
   - ONE single HTML file (HTML, CSS and JavaScript together), no external libraries, no internet needed. I will save it and double-click it.
   - A box where I type a quote or message, and a "Make puzzle" button.
   - Make a random secret code where every letter of the alphabet is swapped for a different letter, and no letter stays as itself. Leave spaces and punctuation as they are.
   - Show the coded message with each code letter in small grey text, and an empty box above it to type my guess.
   - When I type a guess in one box, fill the same guess into every box with the same code letter.
   - When everything is right, show a well done message.
   
   Please give me the complete file in one code block, then tell me in simple steps how to save and open it.

   Copy the code, paste it into your text editor and save it as cryptogram.html. Double-click it, type a short message and press Make puzzle.

2. Add hints and checking

   Copy this promptCopy

   That works, thank you. Please add:
   - A choice of how many letters to give away at the start: 4, 2 or none. Give away the letters used most often in the message, and show them in blue so they can't be changed.
   - A "Check" button that turns wrong guesses red.
   - A "Hint" button that fills in one correct letter.
   - If I use the same guess for two different code letters, show both in orange.
   Send me the complete updated file.

   Always ask for the complete file. Replace everything in cryptogram.html, save, and refresh the tab (F5 or Cmd+R).

3. Add a number code for kids

   Copy this promptCopy

   Please add a choice between a letter code and a number code. In the number code, each letter is swapped for a random number from 1 to 26 instead of a letter, which younger children find easier to read. Send me the complete updated file.

4. Make it printable

   Copy this promptCopy

   Please add a "Print" button. Print the title, a line of instructions and the coded message in black and white on one A4 page, with an empty line above each code letter for writing the answer and the given letters filled in. Underneath, add a key table with every code used in the puzzle and an empty box below each one. Put the answer and the full key on a second page. Send me the complete updated file.

5. Add ready-made movies, bands and songs

   Copy this promptCopy

   Please add four buttons that pick something at random and make the puzzle straight away: Movies, Bands, Christmas songs and TV shows, with at least 20 famous ones each, and an International / UK switch above them that swaps in a UK list for each category. Set the title to match, such as "Guess the movie". Also add an optional "Who said it" box for my own quotes: don't put the name in the code, just show it under the puzzle once it's solved. Send me the complete updated file.

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