Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Z = E
RGZQVJBZIROWDSWKJLWUXCPPVJWKIIDZPPRGVRZXZQWUUZJLZLJWIRQCP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
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- M
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Shakespeare Cryptograms Set 23
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: B = E
ULBVNUUVBWJPATRWTVV,UITG,DVTRXL,TRWAHBBULBTIU,ABB,ULBGDTIQTUOB.
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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- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: I = E
XIUYAWMOIIOZXITHYAAUXIVIWMZXIMGFHIKGNZXOWOOVIAAZXIPAIHCIA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: A = S
TAUUBGRAIJVCXTLUFZUBNGRVCATVINUAXTKA,AIZJTVTVFRKGVINUAIJZI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: F = E
NLKGZKELFZLKMFKCWWHEWBKQFBFBFZZPELKAFTUFZNFAOFEWBKQFBFXKG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: H = E
JOHBOZSHCHZXPUHGCZWBZCKNHJFJUHZGZCHZXPUHEKJOBFPFWJOKXRUZXX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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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)
- “The rankest compound of villanous smell that ever offended nostril.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act III. Sc. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=K C=I D=M E=J F=B G=H H=Q I=S J=N K=U L=D M=Y N=X O=C P=L Q=R R=T S=P T=W U=F V=A W=O X=V Y=Z Z=E
- “The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch, and Sweetheart, see, they bark at me.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, King Lear, Act III. Sc. 6 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=E C=X D=B E=V F=Q G=Y H=W I=R J=O K=F L=H M=P N=I O=M P=G Q=K R=N S=U T=A U=T V=L W=D X=C Y=Z Z=J
- “He was indeed the glass Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves.”— William Shakespeare, 1598, King Henry IV, Part II, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=K C=V D=Q E=Z F=B G=O H=L I=E J=C K=Y L=F M=N N=U O=D P=M Q=X R=P S=J T=G U=W V=R W=I X=H Y=A Z=T
- “I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, King Henry V, Act III. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=Y C=D D=M E=B F=G G=O H=J I=T J=A K=P L=K M=W N=H O=X P=Z Q=F R=U S=C T=I U=E V=N W=V X=L Y=Q Z=R
- “I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act IV. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=M C=F D=W E=T F=E G=D H=L I=U J=Z K=A L=H M=V N=I O=C P=Y Q=K R=J S=G T=X U=P V=B W=O X=S Y=Q Z=R
- “They have measured many a mile to tread a measure with you on this grass.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, Love's Labour's Lost, Act V. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=Y C=M D=X E=W F=O G=D H=E I=Q J=T K=I L=Z M=C N=L O=H P=U Q=F R=G S=V T=P U=R V=K W=N X=S Y=B Z=A