Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = E
SXNLTGJSWBLONXSQOBSNIGUGTWUGTMGBPIGTDBSPJSG.
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 6
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: Y = E
VPVMMPYWKTJFYWKIACGETJXMYYBYRGKQWPXIGCYDLWI.
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: A = O
GPWRAYBDNUFARHTARAU,AYBLWDBHTAEDSWYHUBDFUABH.
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
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: D = E
UDDIDBRJHKUEUDNDBIQZLLDRFSZKUE'QQUBSPKLWCSSY.
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
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: M = A
DEMCVMGEAVTAMCLP,MKCTMHGEABLLK,GEMKQFUEMVLBMK.
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
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: P = T
FADPDLPPADPNMDNOOMXMYG,DBGPAYBGVNOCBPAVCBGVQ?
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
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)
- “Nature in you stands on the very verge of her confine.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, King Lear, Act II. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=O C=Z D=C E=P F=L G=E H=W I=H J=I K=J L=U M=G N=T O=S P=F Q=D R=X S=N T=R U=V V=B W=Y X=A Y=M Z=K
- “I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Othello, Act I. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=V C=P D=C E=N F=H G=O H=B I=T J=Y K=R L=K M=L N=G O=J P=W Q=D R=F S=Z T=M U=Q V=I W=A X=S Y=E Z=X
- “When our actions do not, Our fears do make us traitors.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=R C=P D=A E=M F=I G=W H=S I=Y J=Q K=Z L=F M=B N=C O=V P=H Q=G R=N S=K T=D U=T V=X W=E X=J Y=U Z=L
- “Deeper than did ever plummet sound I'll drown my book.”— William Shakespeare, 1611, The Tempest, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=R C=B D=E E=I F=S G=C H=A I=P J=H K=N L=M M=Z N=V O=J P=W Q=L R=T S=O T=Q U=D V=X W=Y X=G Y=K Z=U
- “I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, Than such a Roman.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Julius Caesar, Act IV. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=M C=D D=I E=H F=U G=T H=Y I=Q J=Z K=N L=O M=A N=K O=J P=G Q=S R=P S=W T=B U=C V=R W=X X=F Y=V Z=L
- “What act that roars so loud, and thunders in the index?”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=N C=I D=A E=V F=W G=D H=K I=Z J=Y K=P L=C M=O N=R O=S P=T Q=X R=M S=G T=Q U=J V=E W=F X=L Y=U Z=B