Puzzle 1
Starter clue: E = T
S'KKWMEPQSNVKGNRMOVPIRMEECGGPNECSOZRNEXDSOMEGF.
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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- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Shakespeare Cryptograms Set 10
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: P = E
UCPDPJNDPTIQAPHBQBQWGBUIZHXUPD,JDNBUI,RGUVHXSWI.
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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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: H = O
MYSXWPHKVYOVHJFWRHIMRMHRGEZHASJJGHZOGHEIWHIJW.
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: F = I
OWJFDW,BFA;BGFAW,LWK;VQGFXIVQGBNQPWJQPHIWDFKVQPFQ.
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 5
Starter clue: H = A
JHWETHUWYK,PFRUEFALHVVHWVCGYMHPFJKCHEQYUAYFATY.
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: I = E
ZUINDQQIGZUKZXCFBIXXZIKBXXDCIZUFLAENDCZUIZUFIE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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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)
- “I'll put a girdle round about the earth in forty minutes.”— William Shakespeare, 1595, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=Z C=H D=M E=T F=S G=E H=C I=B J=X K=L L=K M=U N=R O=N P=A Q=G R=O S=I T=V U=J V=D W=P X=Y Y=W Z=F
- “Therefore my age is as a lusty winter, Frosty, but kindly.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=S C=H D=R E=V F=Z G=U H=I I=Y J=F K=Q L=J M=X N=O O=C P=E Q=A R=B S=D T=M U=T V=K W=L X=N Y=P Z=W
- “I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act I. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=W C=K D=J E=F F=D G=S H=O I=P J=L K=U L=Q M=I N=C O=T P=B Q=Z R=N S=A T=Y U=X V=G W=E X=V Y=H Z=R
- “Devise, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, Love's Labour's Lost, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=W C=B D=S E=J F=I G=R H=U I=M J=V K=N L=P M=G N=H O=D P=L Q=O R=K S=Y T=C U=Q V=F W=E X=A Y=Z Z=X
- “Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way of starved people.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=Q C=T D=K E=R F=O G=H H=A I=J J=F K=S L=M M=W N=C O=B P=Y Q=V R=U S=G T=L U=D V=N W=I X=Z Y=E Z=X
- “The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief.”— William Shakespeare, 1603, OthelloCipher key: A=G B=L C=M D=O E=F F=I G=D H=Q I=E J=Z K=A L=N M=U N=R O=J P=X Q=B R=V S=W T=P U=H V=Y W=K X=S Y=C Z=T