Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = E
OJLSOCSBLPMB,IBKSIOGSZJSBJIYSBXOVZJINLMLEIOQMLBQFOLIO,SHIEEQJLSGOIBKMLGLALIGE,QJLMIQLGBLZQIG,IBKQJLGPZUOAVGLXPEK.
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 46
5 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: T = H
TZJTBIUCIDSTIDSVFCTFOBDIDSVFCTWUBB;WFULTICTBTIJTBXZYBJ,LTICCTZDNJTBJTFLJ;PBCXZYBJTBDFCCZHHQMSXKBDCXMZSBTZJVFMDCP.
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: D = E
YHPWUCDTNDPGVUVGSKCNQTDDK,NHUEKDDINDUISUCNHJEFCVIKSGP;NDNDOZCNDJUHATDPIDVOOCSSZDVK,-GHCNCNVCNDIVOODZCNDCVHOSKOSGP.
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: G = I
UKSPWAOEYABWMIZTIDSGVYZQBWMGZSYYT,MQBMHIISOOQIPSXEYOIXYYN-ZIWMYUNSBMGLY;BWXGXGXSBPAQOBWOGWMYTUGOOGIWBWQIPTEKQGOXGBS.
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: V = E
RLRBNDXNIVCVXCGFFGXB,KCNSFCKCGKCVXOVTTVTAVXVPZBVGXCVGXK-TKXRQFT,R'JBACRTKJVCVXNLLGQBJVKCVXBNAQKCVARQB,KNDXVZGKLNXKSQV.
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 (5 solutions)
- “She is mine own, And I as rich in having such a jewel as twenty seas, if all their sand were pearl, The water nectar, and the rocks pure gold.”— William Shakespeare, 1591, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act II. Sc. 4 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=P B=N C=M D=X E=L F=Y G=R H=F I=A J=H K=D L=E M=W N=J O=S P=O Q=T R=B S=I T=Z U=K V=U W=Q X=G Y=V Z=C
- “His heart and hand both open and both free; For what he has he gives, what thinks he shows; Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty.”— William Shakespeare, 1602, Troilus and Cressida, Act IV. Sc. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=E C=T D=N E=Q F=O G=Z H=L I=A J=S K=M L=W M=U N=K O=P P=Y Q=J R=X S=D T=H U=R V=B W=F X=G Y=V Z=I
- “King Stephen was a worthy peer, His breeches cost him but a crown; He held them sixpence all too dear, - With that he called the tailor lown.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Othello, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=J C=T D=E E=B F=U G=W H=I I=C J=M K=R L=V M=F N=H O=L P=N Q=Y R=Z S=O T=P U=S V=A W=G X=Q Y=K Z=D
- “My lungs began to crow like chanticleer, That fools should be so deep-contemplative; And I did laugh sans intermission an hour by his dial.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act II. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=A C=X D=W E=B F=J G=I H=F I=O J=Q K=Y L=V M=T N=P O=S P=U Q=H R=Z S=L T=R U=M V=K W=N X=D Y=E Z=C
- “If I do prove her haggard, Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings, I 'ld whistle her off and let her down the wind, To prey at fortune.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Othello, Act III. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=D C=H D=P E=B F=G G=A H=K I=V J=L K=T L=F M=X N=O O=J P=M Q=N R=I S=U T=S U=Z V=E W=Q X=R Y=C Z=Y