Common short words
Short words crack cryptograms open. Learn to spot THE, AND and other common words, and to use the letter after an apostrophe. Cracking the code · lesson 1 of 2.
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The lesson in words
After one-letter words, the best foothold is three-letter words. THE and AND are by far the most common.
A three-letter word that appears twice is very likely THE.
This saying has the same three-letter word twice.
Try it: Tap the code letter that probably stands for T.
Apostrophes help too. A single letter after an apostrophe is usually S or T, as in IT’S or DON’T.
Try it: Tap the code letter after the apostrophe.
One-letter words, THE, and the letter after an apostrophe. Next: counting letters.
Questions
Why does one solved word help so much?
The same code is used everywhere, so every solved letter is a clue for the words around it.