PuzzlePage
Play
CryptogramEasyFree PDFUpdated for 2026

Mother's Day Cryptogram

Decode 5 short lines for the second Sunday in May

Five short lines to decode and then copy into a homemade card. Mother's Day in the United States falls on the second Sunday in May, which is May 9 in 2027. The first service was held in Grafton, West Virginia in 1908, and Anna Jarvis campaigned until President Wilson made it national in 1914.

CryptogramPreview

Mother's Day Cryptogram

Decode 5 short lines for the second Sunday in May

Phrase 1

U
P
D
O
M
I
F
C
R
F
V
L
Z
L
V
I
S
L
D
Y
G
O
L
Z
L
V
J
D
H
I
F
C
Q
F
F
M

Hint: Q = C

Phrase 2

I
F
C
S
D
E
L
U
P
L
F
V
E
G
O
D
V
I
E
D
I
J
R
L
L
Y
Y
G
M
L
J
F
S
L
U
P
G
O
A

Hint: E = D

+ 3 more phrases in the PDF

Free printable PDF · puzzle + answer key · puzzlepage.app

Enter your email once to unlock this PDF plus 10 more free printable puzzles. Answer key included.

What is a Cryptogram?

A cryptogram is a substitution cipher puzzle where each letter has been replaced by a different letter. Your goal is to decode the hidden quote by figuring out which cipher letter maps to which original letter.

How to solve it

Start by looking for single-letter words (likely A or I), then short common words. Use letter frequency — E, T, A, and O appear most often in English. Once you crack a few letters, the rest fall into place.

Who is this for?

Cryptograms work especially well for middle school through adult solvers. They build pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and vocabulary. Seniors find them a satisfying daily brain exercise.

About this puzzle

Free printable Mother's Day cryptogram: decode 5 warm lines, easy level with starter letters and an answer key. Perfect for a homemade card. Instant PDF.

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Format: US Letter PDF with answer key
  • Free to download, print, and use
  • Commercial use allowed for KDP publishers

Step-by-step: solving the Mother's Day Cryptogram

  1. Print the puzzle. Download and print the free cryptogram PDF. The cipher uses one consistent letter substitution throughout.
  2. Find single-letter words. Look for any single-letter words in the cipher — in English these are almost always A or I.
  3. Spot common short words. Short words like THE, AND, IS, OF, and TO appear frequently. Plug them in once their letter pattern matches.
  4. Apply letter frequency. The most common English letters are E, T, A, O, I, N, S, H, R. The most common cipher letters likely map to these.
  5. Verify with the answer key. Once decoded, check your full plaintext against the answer key on the second page.

Frequently asked questions

When is Mother's Day?›
The second Sunday in May in the United States. That is May 9 in 2027.
Who founded Mother's Day?›
Anna Jarvis. The first Mother's Day service was held on May 10, 1908 at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, and President Woodrow Wilson made it a national observance in 1914.
Can children solve it?›
Yes. It is the easy level with starter letters given, and the decoded lines are short enough to copy straight into a card.
Is the cipher a simple letter substitution?›
Yes. One letter consistently substitutes for another throughout the whole quote. Once you decode a few letters, the rest typically fall into place.
Are punctuation and spaces preserved?›
Yes. Word boundaries, capitalization, and punctuation are kept intact so you can use word-shape clues while solving.
What age is a cryptogram appropriate for?›
Cryptograms suit middle school through adult. They build pattern recognition, letter-frequency reasoning, and vocabulary at the same time.

More free The Civic Year puzzles

Election Day, Veterans Day, Groundhog Day, Earth Day and Mother's Day.

Make your own custom puzzles

Free Cryptogram Generator→← Browse all 164 free puzzles