Most people find the traditional cryptogram puzzle difficult to solve. I have come up with an easier version for beginners and for puzzle-solvers in a hurry. I call this cryptonine because only nine letters are encrypted. Each of these letters is consistently replaced by a different number. All other letters are left in their correct locations. The letters in the message are printed in ALL CAPS to avoid confusing the letter L with the number 1. The number zero is not used to avoid confusion with the letter "O".
Here are some sample encrypted words and their solutions to give you a feel for this approach to cryptograms:
J3Y = JOY. (3 = O)
45NY = MANY (4 = M, 5 = A)
QU88N = QUEEN (8 = E)
Now go ahead and solve this cryptonine:
1234 34 5 93G21 V6743O8 OF 126 C7YP1OG75M PUZZ96. O89Y 8386 9611674 576 76P95C6D BY 8UMB674.
Solution