Even though these number substitution cryptograms may look terribly confusing, they can be solved with exactly the same strategies as letter substitution puzzles. The numbers within one encrypted word are linked by a dot or a dash. Keep a close eye out for the spaces between words and punctuation. Look for the most frequently occurring numbers, which will probably be E, T and A. Hunt out recurring words like AND, THE, and THAT.
You can find more tips on how to crack cryptograms on the Cracking Codes & Cryptograms For Dummies Cheat Sheet.
Easy Number Cipher 1. Christopher Hodapp, author of Freemasons For Dummies, had this to say about Freemasonry:
04.22.19.19.21.11.13.05.20.22.09 15.19.11.06.12.19.13 24.19.13.13.05.20.13 05.04 13.05.06.08.11.24 11.20.18 21.05.22.11.24 23.08.22.15.16.19.13 26.11.13.19.18 05.20 13.09.21.26.05.24.08.13.21 05.04 15.12.19 15.05.05.24.13 11.20.18 24.11.20.14.16.11.14.19 05.04 15.12.19 11.20.06.08.19.20.15 26.16.08.24.18.08.20.14 15.22.11.18.19, 16.13.08.20.14 15.12.19 26.16.08.24.18.08.20.14 05.04 11 13.15.22.16.06.15.16.22.19 11.13 11 13.09.21.26.05.24 04.05.22 15.12.19 26.16.08.24.18.08.20.14 05.04 06.12.11.22.11.06.15.19.22 08.20 21.19.20. 21.11.13.05.20.13 11.22.19 05.26.24.08.14.19.18 15.05 17.22.11.06.15.08.06.19 26.22.05.15.12.19.22.24.09 24.05.23.19, 21.16.15.16.11.24 11.13.13.08.13.15.11.20.06.19, 19.07.16.11.24.08.15.09, 13.19.06.22.19.06.09, 11.20.18 15.22.16.13.15 26.19.15.25.19.19.20 19.11.06.12 05.15.12.19.22.
Easy Number Cipher 2. Remember to look for single letter words, they’re almost always A or I.
26.22 07.23.22 07.25.25, 21.19 07 15.22.19.15.22, 22.12.06.22.23.03.15 18.19 15.22.10.23.22.10.02. 01.23.18.24 22.07.23.25.21.22.15.03 10.14.21.25.11.14.18.18.11 26.22 01.22.22.25 21.03.15 24.02.15.03.22.23.02 07.19.11 07.03.03.23.07.10.03.21.18.19. 26.22 05.19.18.26 04.18.03.14 03.14.22 06.18.26.22.23 21.03 10.18.19.01.22.23.15 07.19.11 03.14.22 04.13.23.11.22.19 21.03 21.24.06.18.15.22.15. 26.22 25.22.07.23.19 14.18.26 21.03 10.07.19 11.22.25.21.20.14.03, 20.21.16.22 04.23.22.07.03.14.21.19.20 15.06.07.10.22, 07.19.11 06.23.18.03.22.10.03. 15.21.15.15.22.25.07 04.18.05
Easy Number Cipher 3. Adapted from a statement of Albert Pike on “the crowning glory” of Freemasonry.
08.14 08.11 14.17.23 13.16.24.21.25.08.25.10 10.26.24.16.22 24.20 20.16.23.23.03.15.11.24.25.16.22 14.17.15.14, 16.23.02.12.08.16.08.25.10 24.25.26.22 14.17.15.14 15 13.15.25.01.08.01.15.14.23 11.17.15.26.26 04.23.26.08.23.06.23 15.25.01 18.12.14 17.08.11 14.16.12.11.14 08.25 15 26.08.06.08.25.10 15.25.01 18.23.16.11.24.25.15.26 10.24.01 15.25.01 15 26.08.20.23 15.20.14.23.16 01.23.15.14.17, 08.14 16.23.13.23.08.06.23.11 08.25.14.24 08.14.11 26.24.01.10.23.11 14.17.23 13.17.16.08.11.14.08.15.25 24.20 23.06.23.16.22 11.23.13.14, 14.17.23 07.23.21, 14.17.23 03.12.11.26.08.03 15.25.01 14.17.23 18.15.16.11.23.23, 15.25.01 12.25.08.14.23.11 14.17.23.03 08.25 14.17.23 17.24.26.22 04.24.25.01.11 24.20 04.16.24.14.17.23.16.17.24.24.01.
Easy Number Cipher 4. Use your cryptographic skills to decipher this quote from a popular author.
02.10.03.11 13.26.02.19.26.07.04 03.26, 18.16 19.10.16 19.24.24 20.17.13.16.20; 21.25.16 20.25.19.11.16 13.20 26.03.21 21.25.13.20 06.15.21 21.25.19.21 21.25.16 20.16.07.10.16.21.20 21.03 06.16 09.13.20.07.03.01.16.10.16.09 19.10.16 20.03 17.19.24.21.10.04 19.26.09 02.16.18. 14.03.25.26 15.17.09.13.12.16
Easy Number Cipher 5. Cracking this cipher will answer the question “Is Freemasonry a religion?”
VII-VIII. XI-XXV-XV-XV-XXIII-II-I-VIII-VII-XXV-XII XVII-VIII-XV-I-VII'XXIV
VIII-XI-XI-XV-XXV II XXIII-XV-II-VII-I XXIV-VIII I-II-XVI-X-II-XXIV-V-VIII-VII
VIII-XXV I-XXII-XV-IV-V-XI-V-IV XXIV-XV-II-IV-XX-V-VII-XXI-I
II-III-VIII-XIII-XXIV XXIV-XX-XV VII-II-XXIV-XIII-XXV-XV VIII-XI XXI-VIII-XVII.
V-XXIV'I VII-VIII XXIII-VIII-XXV-XV II XXV-XV-XVI-V-XXI-V-VIII-VII XXIV-XX-II-VII
XXIV-XX-XV III-VIII-XII I-IV-VIII-XIII-XXIV-I (VI-XX-V-IV-XX
II-XVI-I-VIII XIII-I-XV-I XXII-XXV-II-XII-XV-XXV V-VII V-XXIV-I
XXIII-XV-XV-XXIV-V-VII-XXI-I) VIII-XXV XXIV-XX-XV IV-VIII-XIII-XXV-XXIV
I-XII-I-XXIV-XV-XXIII (VI-XX-V-IV-XX II-XVI-I-VIII XIII-I-XV-I
XXIV-XX-XV III-V-III-XVI-XV).