Puzzle 1
Starter clue: E = T
AMUVE'KBQANDGKQFGLRFAEXRE,QANPXBRANNQCKEQANKEMHEXGXAEVGOMKECOXRAEQMA-EXHK.
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 37
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: V = I
VGVMXDXQUYXJVZNUQUQSVTR,VBZNPJGVTJVYVTWCFXQDYYZHXUYZMVYQPPZGCZNDMZDUFVA.
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
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: F = A
SMOVFSFGNZIIGFS,DRFD'GFCFIAFLDJIZFDRFDKFYZZFDRAGHYZFBJFGDMLDRZIAXMJFIAML.
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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- R
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- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: I = E
RSZIMGISRNAIDIHJIGNIRNAIHKZUBJYBE:SPIHITONZSNNZIAKDDE,SJSGBOZURKEABPVOGA.
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: J = S
YSTJKGHNO-JTNNXJSBEFGSHNOJ'XSEMBNJZIEKMYX,GKDNJSWXNJXQBJKUXSCXXNEFKEMNCOJ!
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
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- T
- U
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: C = I
NDNRFECESCEKFDCESURCKFSBBQNFE,CKZBUFXRDBOOEQRHKZFEQNRZUFZURCKKOVVCYCREZ.
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)
- “Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain-tops.”— William Shakespeare, 1595, Romeo and Juliet, Act III. Sc. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=C C=Y D=L E=T F=R G=E H=P I=V J=F K=S L=B M=I N=D O=M P=J Q=A R=U S=K T=Z U=G V=H W=Q X=O Y=W Z=X
- “If I were as tedious as a king, I could find it in my heart to bestow it all of your worship.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Much Ado about Nothing, Act III. Sc. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=C C=Y D=R E=X F=H G=F H=B I=Q J=D K=Z L=J M=W N=U O=V P=L Q=A R=G S=K T=N U=S V=I W=M X=E Y=T Z=O
- “You may as well say, that's a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, King Henry V, Act III. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=K C=V D=T E=C F=A G=S H=B I=L J=F K=D L=N M=O N=W O=U P=Q Q=J R=H S=Y T=Z U=X V=M W=G X=P Y=R Z=E
- “Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Much Ado about Nothing, Act II. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=H B=O C=V D=P E=Y F=K G=C H=R I=E J=F K=A L=G M=N N=T O=U P=W Q=X R=S S=I T=B U=D V=M W=Z X=Q Y=J Z=L
- “How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, Like softest music to attending ears!”— William Shakespeare, 1595, Romeo and Juliet, Act II. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=U C=A D=K E=N F=D G=L H=V I=Y J=S K=I L=Q M=G N=E O=R P=Z Q=M R=X S=O T=W U=C V=J W=F X=T Y=H Z=B
- “My meaning in saying he is a good man, is to have you understand me that he is sufficient.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act I. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=O C=I D=Y E=N F=A G=J H=R I=K J=X K=S L=P M=L N=M O=U P=Q Q=D R=E S=G T=W U=H V=F W=Z X=V Y=C Z=T