Puzzle 1
Starter clue: C = O
IWCLDEBOWCHRCIEGVEBFUDCDEBVCXBCIEGVICCD,EBGVFXXLGWDE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- H
- I
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Shakespeare Cryptograms Set 17
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: J = E
MJBHJKGRDAKOJZRMCZEKGNRKTJKZRCUXWBJZJUPJTGNNFTNCXMR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: A = H
LACAEVB,LACAEVB,LACGWMLDAEVBOMBELILAOBSLEGIWSALEMXEVB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
- C
- D
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: U = N
AOACCPMXHZZMVNHUIMUQQHXHTTJUI,JUIIHTGVNAZAQAUBBMUQCG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- B
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- D
- E
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- H
- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: J = S
MRXWNDXGWJGDWMAUXJGXXEOJS,GJHLAEDNP-JYNNQNUJ,HRENSRWOJS.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: V = T
PZVVYHU"YCXBZHTV"EXYVROTH"YETRPC,"PYDZVIZOTTBQXVY'VIZXCXUZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
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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)
- “From the crown of his head to the sole of his foot, he is all mirth.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Much Ado about Nothing, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=E C=O D=T E=H F=A G=I H=W I=F J=U K=B L=M M=K N=G O=C P=Y Q=P R=N S=J T=V U=D V=S W=R X=L Y=Z Z=Q
- “Her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light.”— William Shakespeare, 1595, Romeo and Juliet, Act V. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=R C=I D=Y E=V F=O G=U H=B I=X J=E K=A L=Q M=H N=L O=K P=C Q=D R=T S=J T=F U=N V=Z W=P X=G Y=W Z=S
- “The horn, the horn, the lusty horn is not a thing to laugh to scorn.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=N C=E D=Y E=O F=B G=L H=D I=A J=X K=P L=T M=S N=Q O=I P=W Q=K R=M S=G T=V U=Z V=R W=U X=C Y=J Z=F
- “I will be correspondent to command, And do my spiriting gently.”— William Shakespeare, 1611, The Tempest, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=G C=L D=Q E=U F=X G=Y H=O I=D J=A K=V L=Z M=E N=P O=W P=B Q=T R=F S=J T=M U=N V=S W=K X=C Y=H Z=R
- “Golden lads and girls all must, As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.”— William Shakespeare, 1610, Cymbeline, Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=V C=B D=N E=M F=Z G=A H=C I=Q J=S K=J L=H M=G N=E O=U P=Y Q=P R=O S=T T=X U=R V=F W=D X=L Y=W Z=K
- “Letting "I dare not" wait upon "I would," Like the poor cat i' the adage.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act I. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=R C=D D=K E=W F=S G=M H=N I=H J=X K=V L=Q M=F N=B O=P P=L Q=C R=U S=Y T=O U=G V=T W=J X=A Y=I Z=E