How do I get better at cryptograms?

[kb83]

I recently gave up on a cryptogram, because I had a meaningful sentence, with two phrases separated by a conjunction. I had the conjunction "but", and it turned out the correct one was "and." (after looking it up). With the conjunction unfilled, the letters a, n, d, and b, u, t, were all available!

[Quizzical]

It helps to be at least a semi-fast typist, which I am not, if you are trying to increase your overall speed. I am not the fastest solver, but after almost 10 years, I am "above average" about half the time. My goal is to solve every puzzle, so that results in slow solve times as does getting distracted. I started on cryptograms to try to keep my aging mind as sharp as possible. And I just find it amusing, the quotes and the comments. Lately I have started taking a quick glance at the whole puzzle to spot overall word patterns, such as "is a" or "but or "and" after a comma. I think the fastest solvers must just see the full or nearly complete quote in a glance or have seen the quote so many times. Realize that I am not the fastest, so my suggestion is worth what you paid for it.

[maradnu]

Practice, even if you're logged in, most of us won't judge you. Just do the best you can.

[Synonymous]

Fudi nailed it. Excellent advice.

[cryptoharvesting]

One other thing: E, T, A, O , I, N are the most statistically likely letters.

[Fudi]

I would say, in that case, ChemEngineerMBA, you should practice here, but without signing on as a competitor. That way, you can ask for a hint whenever you need to. I bet that would improve your game. Then, once you worked up to solving a few here without hints, you could probably manage some pen and paper puzzles. Once you're solving successfully, you'll improve with more and more practice.

[LLapp]

I do daily cryptograms in the newspaper, with pen and ink and no, they don't automatically fill in.
I've been doing them for years and rarely am unable to complete one.

OH! So you are a pen-and-paper cryptogram enthusiast, and you don't come here to solve cryptograms online? Do you print out puzzles from this site, to solve them on paper?

Before finding this website, I also solved the daily cryptogram in the newspaper for decades. This website's solving platform has reduced my pen-and-paper frequency to a few times a year.

[LLapp]

4. Always write in the coded letter you found all the way around and it will lead you to solve unknown letters very quickly.

ChemEngineerMBA, on this cryptograms platform, all instances of a letter fill in automatically as you type. Does that not happen for you when you play?

[Synonymous]

Patricawilliams many of us use quote sites to help solve puzzles. I don't understand why you were banned? Did you receive and explanation from ADMIN? If so, please post it, if not please ask why. I'm very curious because I've used assistance for years.

[hrossa]

Patricawilliams, you were banned from this site for finding a quote on a quote site? How would result in a fast solve, and how Admin would even know this had been done?

[patriciawilliams]

I thought about doing that, but thought it might get me banned.

That's right. I tested and I got banned.

geometry dash meltdown

[glassguy]

Theaxatium--There's a lot of good information in the all of the previous answers. Checking the author can also help because if the author is, say, Arnold Palmer, the quote is probably going to be golf related, so you start thinking along those lines. Also, you have to do the same thing that a piano player has to do to get to Carnegie Hall--Practice, Practice, Practice.

[kb83]

One thing to do is start clicking on different squares, and observe what the pattern of squares that use the same letter is. I often am able to correctly guess a letter from its pattern in the puzzle. Vowels especially are susceptible to guessing in this way. THere are also many patterned words like "that", "people", "success" (which comes up exceedingly often), etc. Of course, "that" can also be "test", "dead", "says","else", "ease", ... (many other choices). At some point you can see patterns in several small words in sequence, for example "those who", "he who", I don't insist on completing every puzzle, because it would ruin my average time, and I like to compete on speed. (It is mind-boggling to see solvers who solve every puzzle and yet beat my average time by alot. ) But if I did, I would resort to looking up quotes (of course that does not work with "unattributed"). Mostly, it is a learning curve, learning letter patterns and phrase patterns. Two letters at the end of a word is usually "s", "f", "l", or "e".

[turnip_head]

Honestly, I just forced myself to complete every. Single. Cipher. It's hard, and very frustrating at times, but if you practice lots and recognize patterns like everyone else said, you'll improve fast. A large vocabulary also helps but it'll build up the more you do cryptograms. If you skip ciphers you won't learn as much, so try to complete as many as possible and stick with them. Good luck!
I also admit to googling quotes when I have one letter left, haha

[oddcouple]

It's something that comes with time. Just like any number of other things. Example: When you first get a checking account, you might struggle with the monthly reconciliations. But the more times you balance your checking account the easier it gets. When you first get behind the wheel of a car, do you take off instinctually or do you have to practice? The more you play, the easier it gets. in the meantime, just have fun!