Cryptogram Puzzle 700
Answers

Decoded in full, attributed to C. S. Lewis.

Letter frequency for cryptogram 700: E 29, T 20, I 19, S 16, R 15, A 13, D 10, C 7, H 7, L 7, N 7, O 729E20T19I16S15R13A10D7C7H7L7N7O
The decoded quote:
“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.”
— C. S. Lewis

Cryptogram Puzzle 700 decodes to a quotation of 35 words attributed to C. S. Lewis. It runs to 219 characters and uses 21 distinct letters.

The chart above shows the real letter frequencies of this quote — E×29, T×20, I×19, S×16, R×15. That is the pattern that cracks it: in ordinary English E is the commonest letter by a wide margin, so whichever cipher symbol appears most in the puzzle is the first substitution worth testing. We publish the decoded quote and its author; the game generates its own substitution alphabet per player, so no fixed cipher is shown here.

This quote contains 12 short words of three letters or fewer, which are the other obvious way in — one-letter words are always A or I, and the commonest three-letter word by a wide margin is THE. Fixing one of those typically reveals enough of the text to read the rest.

This puzzle sits in the 601–700 block, with puzzle 699 and puzzle 701 linked at the foot of the page, so you can keep moving without returning to the index.

Puzzle 700 at a glance
AuthorC. S. Lewis
Characters219
Words35
Distinct letters21
Most frequentE×29 T×20 I×19
Questions

Cryptogram Puzzle 700 FAQ

1What is the answer to Cryptogram Puzzle 700?+
The decoded quotation is shown in full above, together with the author it is attributed to.
2How many answers does this level have?+
0, all listed on this page.
3Where do I go next?+
Use the links at the foot of the page for puzzle 699 and puzzle 701, or browse the whole 601–700 block.
4Are these answers verified?+
Yes. This puzzle was imported from a structured source record and validated on build. See the method page for exactly what is checked.
How to play

How Cryptogram Works

The same three moves solve most Cryptogram puzzles, including this one.

1

Count the letters

The most frequent symbol is usually E, then T, A, O and N. Frequency beats guessing every time.

2

Attack the short words

One-letter words are A or I. Common three-letter words are THE and AND, and they unlock the most letters at once.

3

Use the apostrophes

A letter after an apostrophe is almost always S, T, D, M, LL, RE or VE — a very short list to test.

Play smarter

Cryptogram Tips & Strategy

Starting with what this particular puzzle teaches you.

1

Most frequent letter here

In this quote the commonest letters are E×29, T×20, I×19. In English E leads by a wide margin, so test that substitution first.

2

It has 12 short words

Short words are the fastest way in — one-letter words are always A or I, and the commonest three-letter word is THE.

3

Frequency first

Count which cipher letter appears most. In English text it is E far more often than not, and fixing E alone usually reveals two or three short words.

4

One-letter words are A or I

There are no others in ordinary English. Two free letters from a single glance at the text.

5

THE is the giveaway

The commonest three-letter word by a wide margin. Finding one THE gives you T, H and E in a single move.

6

Apostrophes narrow sharply

A letter directly after an apostrophe is nearly always S, T, D or M, or the pairs LL, RE and VE. Very few options to test.

By the numbers

Cryptogram Puzzle 700 In Detail

Everything recorded for this puzzle, counted from its source record.

AuthorC. S. Lewis
Characters219
Words35
Distinct letters21
Short words12
Puzzle700