Cryptogram Solving Tips: Common Word Patterns
A guide to the most common word patterns in cryptograms. Learn to spot the, and, that, with, and other high-frequency words by their shape.
Recognizing common word patterns is one of the fastest ways to solve cryptograms. English has predictable word shapes. Once you learn to spot them, you can decode words even before you have all the letters figured out.
Single-Letter Words
There are only two single-letter words in English: "I" and "a." When you see a single-letter word in a cryptogram, it is one of those two. "I" is more common in quotes because people talk about themselves. "A" appears in almost every sentence as an article. This is always your starting point.
Two-Letter Words
The most common two-letter words are: is, it, in, of, to, on, at, an, if, or, so, do, no, my, he, we, up, am, be, and go. That list covers the vast majority of two-letter words you will see in a cryptogram. If one letter of a two-letter word is already solved, you can usually figure out the other by testing this list.
Three-Letter Words
The most common three-letter words are: the, and, for, are, but, not, you, all, can, her, was, one, our, out, day, had, has, his, how, its, may, new, now, old, see, way, who, did, get, let, and say. "The" is by far the most common. It appears in almost every English sentence. Learn to spot it by its unique three-letter pattern.
Doubled Letters
When you see two identical letters side by side, the most common doubles are: LL, SS, EE, OO, TT, FF, PP, and RR. Words with doubles include "will," "less," "see," "too," "better," "off," "happy," and "error." Double letters narrow your options fast because relatively few letters double in English.
Word Endings
Common word endings include -ING, -TION, -ED, -LY, -ER, -EST, -NESS, -MENT, -ABLE, and -IGHT. These endings are so predictable that you can often solve the last two or three letters of a long word and work backward to complete it. -ING is the single most useful ending to recognize because it gives you three letters at once.
Putting It All Together
Start with single-letter words. Then find "the." Then look for common two-letter words using the letters you have already solved. Then work the endings of longer words. Each step feeds the next. Within a few minutes, you will have enough letters solved that the remaining words fill themselves in.