Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = E
VYUEIDNUVYHMVJRRXGBGWZDYHMRWPGNUVYHMVXGIJXW;NYJV'DWHEGUDWHEG.
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 24
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 = O
LJBBJDTCGEGANUSYJDKULCIDXTJLEKJIKNUIJXULUVXNJIMUXXNLEXJDLC.
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: U = E
KTCUZQFTMJLWDRUKKDDSUZYLEVMJUVBMZK,YTJWDRCUJUSWLFMHUKFDSNUZ.
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: Q = O
MWZUQQAIQMWMWTXLWZTKDTKZ,CHMMWZDTKZBVXLXQDKWTBKZAUMQCZVUQQA.
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: O = E
XYOJOOCQIEFKYXFWVPOCXHCQEQHPXSZA,SEJESXHPONHWXQLOUEOVOWWFXU.
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 = I
QPECVRU,HPUCUCPEZLKXVJCRKOMXPU,QRAUCPEQRRKTDYTLRV,UCPERIPVPRV.
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)
- “Things without all remedy should be without regard; what's done is done.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=F B=M C=J D=S E=N F=P G=E H=O I=G J=A K=Q L=K M=U N=W O=Z P=B Q=V R=L S=X T=C U=I V=T W=D X=R Y=H Z=Y
- “Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground.”— William Shakespeare, 1611, The Tempest, Act I. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=W C=D D=U E=G F=Q G=I H=J I=F J=O K=S L=N M=B N=E O=P P=Y Q=X R=Z S=T T=L U=A V=C W=M X=R Y=H Z=K
- “Superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=A C=P D=O E=W F=L G=Q H=V I=J J=T K=S L=Y M=I N=G O=X P=Z Q=F R=M S=N T=U U=E V=H W=C X=K Y=B Z=R
- “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, As You Like ItCipher key: A=L B=M C=B D=W E=X F=V G=J H=U I=D J=G K=S L=K M=T N=Q O=Y P=C Q=O R=P S=R T=I U=F V=A W=H X=N Y=Z Z=E
- “The deep of night is crept upon our talk, And nature must obey necessity.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Julius Caesar, Act IV. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=Q C=P D=V E=N F=I G=J H=U I=F J=D K=G L=B M=X N=M O=E P=R Q=O R=Z S=A T=W U=Y V=C W=S X=T Y=H Z=L
- “Fish not, with this melancholy bait, For this fool gudgeon, this opinion.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act I. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=Z C=H D=U E=S F=K G=V H=W I=P J=C K=L L=E M=B N=Q O=Y P=I Q=F R=O S=X T=G U=T V=N W=J X=A Y=D Z=M