Puzzle 1
Starter clue: D = E
YQGSDLQBAUQLJBODBHFGLAED'JMBAEFDVODFQGTOGTDODFGFTFBLOGTDLQDOXDZZ,LQDVYOYLGLDTQAOGFYLVJBGPBOYFGPZV.
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 44
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: P = O
ARHLPQAYHJKHJVBHFJNWPXNPMGWNPMIPAJZHJARGHW,GQAPBHARGLQRPFRGLQHBWFRJARHGQJTIQAHJBPMAPWNPMXKPLYJTN.
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: N = E
FEBTZNQBXQDNVTJQDTIMCBAVXFQJCN,ITCPFCY,XTQMNCAFXNXQ,KPNNQ,XTQZFKQBXS,QDNMNCIJANFXYKJMMZBFXONTIFABXJQN.
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: J = S
PZBWNBHADDZNDVUDZUJRGIIAKNINPBUF?PZUFUVUZCJOGCLLCDCUJHAP,ZCJOGCIIUDJ,ZCJENJUJ,ZCJDUHGFUJ,NHLZCJDFCERJ?
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: Z = E
KQ,FZJJRZYBKUWZUJQKLXZFWYEBSMXTUGQNG,BKUYTQQEJRZGTZLKBKJRWKLZMQHJRZEKZZORZTZJRTWHJNBVHQFFQOHBOKWKL.
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: B = T
ENIBSAI,OBOIHAYMSUNZASNUDBXNBDYCNASZOBBZSLSBBSABXNVGNZISPVNMSI;NVUOBJOZZKYVSNABYLSBXYCKXBIYIXYABZD.
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)
- “I have thought some of Nature's journeymen had made men and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=O C=Q D=E E=R F=N G=A H=F I=C J=S K=Z L=T M=J N=K O=M P=B Q=H R=P S=V T=D U=G V=Y W=X X=W Y=I Z=L
- “The most peaceable way for you if you do take a thief, is to let him show himself what he is and steal out of your company.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Much Ado about Nothing, Act III. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=L C=J D=G E=V F=W G=I H=E I=D J=A K=C L=M M=U N=Y O=Q P=O Q=S R=H S=Z T=N U=X V=B W=F X=R Y=P Z=K
- “A violet in the youth of primy nature, Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, The perfume and suppliance of a minute.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act I. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=I C=R D=H E=V F=A G=Q H=X I=F J=U K=S L=Z M=P N=E O=C P=W Q=T R=B S=G T=O U=K V=Y W=J X=N Y=D Z=L
- “Why may not that be the skull of a lawyer? Where be his quiddities now, his quillets, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks?”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act V. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=O B=Y C=I D=T E=C F=R G=U H=N I=L J=S K=F L=D M=G N=A O=Q P=W Q=P R=K S=V T=J U=E V=B W=M X=Z Y=X Z=H
- “No, let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp, And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee where thrift may follow fawning.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=A C=J D=Z E=K F=L G=P H=F I=V J=T K=N L=G M=S N=M O=W P=Q Q=O R=H S=B T=R U=D V=Y W=I X=U Y=C Z=E
- “Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false knaves; and it will go near to be thought so shortly.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, Much Ado about Nothing, Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=R B=T C=U D=Y E=M F=Z G=F H=P I=S J=W K=G L=B M=V N=A O=I P=K Q=J R=C S=E T=Q U=D V=N W=X X=H Y=O Z=L