Puzzle 1
Starter clue: N = E
HDQKZRQNIHEEKZSNUNJHRC,IKA,QKZRQNUZAQXVIRUN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Shakespeare Cryptograms Set 3
6 cryptograms to solve with a pencil. Each letter of the quote has been swapped for another letter, and the same swap holds all the way through.
20 pt ciphertext — the size a newspaper puzzle page never gives you. 26 pt ciphertext with wide letter spacing and room to write. Both sizes print on US Letter with the answer key on its own page.
Printing this web page instead? Press Ctrl+P (⌘+P on a Mac). The navigation and buttons drop away, and the answer key prints on its own page — open it below first if you want it included.
The puzzles
Puzzle 2
Starter clue: C = T
TUCHMVEVMRHJCFNEFSOJ,SVCJEUNVJUADEUCYCDYSS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: F = T
KTSF,KBYYFTOYBLOWFUOFQTPIFFPFTOQUSQDPCHPPN?
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: P = E
UWYVVZQPPBYKHABPYESPVZNWPWYDPUYWPBBRIPYUE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: K = R
ADLMNKJSGLMGEDKZALZUDKCUKMJ,TDSLUSSINCUKMJ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: J = E
AGPSBSWOUFPHSBRNBHCPVJBHFJGJCJCZGPWEJQJPG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- T
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- X
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Solver's cheat sheet
- Most common letters
- E T A O I N S H R D L U
- Most common 1-letter words
- A I
- Most common 2-letter words
- OF TO IN IT IS BE AS AT SO WE HE BY OR ON DO IF ME MY UP AN GO NO US AM
- Most common 3-letter words
- THE AND FOR ARE BUT NOT YOU ALL ANY CAN HER WAS ONE OUR OUT DAY GET HAS HIM HIS HOW MAN NEW NOW OLD SEE TWO WAY WHO BOY DID ITS LET PUT SAY SHE TOO USE
- Common double letters
- LL EE SS OO TT FF RR NN PP CC
- Common word endings
- -ING -ION -ENT -TION -LY -ED -ER -EST
- After an apostrophe
- T (don't) S (it's) RE (we're) VE (I've) LL (we'll) D (I'd)
Want this on its own sheet? Print the letter frequency chart.
Show the answer key (6 solutions)
- “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act I. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=P C=G D=F E=L F=T G=J H=I I=W J=K K=H L=S M=X N=E O=Q P=B Q=C R=N S=V T=D U=M V=O W=Z X=R Y=U Z=A
- “Nature her custom holds, Let shame say what it will.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act IV. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=V C=T D=W E=H F=O G=B H=U I=F J=S K=P L=Q M=R N=M O=D P=X Q=J R=C S=L T=N U=A V=E W=Z X=G Y=I Z=K
- “What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act IV. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=I C=F D=K E=P F=T G=V H=D I=U J=G K=W L=N M=Q N=M O=E P=O Q=C R=X S=A T=H U=R V=B W=S X=Z Y=L Z=J
- “Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.”— William Shakespeare, 1594, The Comedy of Errors, Act III. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=R C=J D=K E=T F=Q G=I H=D I=F J=P K=N L=B M=X N=O O=Z P=E Q=H R=Y S=W T=V U=S V=L W=M X=U Y=A Z=C
- “I understand a fury in your words, But not the words.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Othello, Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=M C=W D=U E=F F=V G=A H=C I=H J=S K=R L=N M=D N=E O=P P=K Q=G R=X S=T T=B U=O V=J W=Q X=Z Y=L Z=Y
- “Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear.”— William Shakespeare, 1605, All's Well that Ends Well, Act V. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=S C=M D=U E=C F=H G=R H=T I=Z J=E K=X L=F M=Q N=O O=G P=A Q=D R=L S=I T=V U=W V=K W=N X=Y Y=J Z=B