Puzzle 1
Starter clue: J = T
UOABUOHJQPADJAPMJUAQ,PXBYPSDOQIUQDJNDCUUBFDUVJYMCNJFMX,HGVDPAMXCJUPJJDYTJ.
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 38
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 = T
FSRVTOJJGVMOTJ,OYUXKJGOMKJJMVDKYNSPVTJGPSZIGGKTFOTJMVXOMM-OYUHOPVXVMMQKYI!
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: B = O
QXFDLENYIPYKOBVSXFDTSQZ,ZBSLFDYKORYIPLMFDYZRUXIBSLZ.BELK,HBIPZ,RDBLJLNPKBIPZ!
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: C = E
Y,JKGEDCHWCMJYDHBQVWAWTCDAE,RWWACAYMRJCAJQMWQECDCEERDAJKCSCJJCVYDHQLFTFYDA.
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
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: W = E
MIVATVZWGFETUBWZCWPQXIFOVOGFCXPSGEIVBWWK,FCWETUBWXGKXSPXMXWKHDFCWKVWI'GKWWK.
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
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- U
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- X
- Y
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: E = I
FGEHEHFGTUTVAILEWSYTLZALNVCVSEW:FGEHCLXEKTHHIVTSFELWTIHFSHAEHUTVAINWWEWYEW.
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)
- “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Measure for MeasureCipher key: A=R B=D C=G D=E E=Q F=W G=Y H=B I=L J=T K=J L=Z M=I N=H O=U P=A Q=S R=C S=K T=P U=O V=F W=X X=N Y=M Z=V
- “Comes at the last, and with a little pin Bores through his castle wall - and farewell king!”— William Shakespeare, 1595, King Richard II, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=J C=Z D=P E=V F=C G=H H=F I=G J=T K=I L=X M=L N=B O=A P=R Q=K R=M S=O T=S U=D V=E W=Y X=W Y=N Z=U
- “By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, Whoever knocks!”— William Shakespeare, 1606, Macbeth, Act IV. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=O C=J D=H E=P F=T G=Q H=L I=C J=V K=N L=E M=D N=R O=G P=K Q=B R=W S=M T=U U=A V=F W=Z X=Y Y=I Z=S
- “I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated to closeness and the bettering of my mind.”— William Shakespeare, 1611, The Tempest, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=W C=E D=N E=S F=M G=U H=G I=V J=T K=H L=F M=C N=K O=Z P=X Q=O R=A S=B T=Y U=Q V=R W=L X=J Y=I Z=P
- “From lowest place when virtuous things proceed, The place is dignified by the doer's deed.”— William Shakespeare, 1605, All's Well that Ends Well, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=C C=H D=Y E=P F=T G=S H=B I=R J=K K=D L=X M=F N=Q O=U P=N Q=V R=Z S=G T=L U=A V=O W=E X=I Y=J Z=W
- “This is the very coinage of your brain: This bodiless creation ecstasy is very cunning in.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=Q C=B D=K E=I F=T G=H H=S I=C J=M K=L L=O M=X N=U O=P P=Z Q=W R=J S=A T=E U=V V=R W=N X=D Y=G Z=F