The type of English that Shakespeare used in his writing is known as Early Modern English, or Shakespearean English. This form of English was typical from the 1500s to the 1700s. The primary differences between Shakespearean English and today's English are in the way words are spelled, sentence structure, and the use of words that are now considered outdated. To see the difference in words try our Shakespeare Translator Tool.
| Modern English Words | Shakespearean Words |
|---|---|
| angry | wrathful |
| beautiful | fair |
| before | ere |
| betray | treachery |
| child | babe |
| children | bairns |
| clothes | garments |
| courage | valour |
| day | day |
| dead | deceased |
| die | perish |
| do | dost, doth |
| does | doth |
| drink | quaff |
| eat | feed |
| enemy | foe |
| evening | eve |
| exclamation of dismay | fie |
| faith | fidelity |
| father | sire |
| fear | dread |
| friend | good friend |
| friendship | amity |
| gladly | fain |
| goodbye | fare thee well |
| happy | merry |
| hate | abhor |
| have | hast |
| hear | hear, listen to |
| hello | good morrow |
| here | hither |
| kill | slay |
| king | liege |
| lady | dame |
| life | life, existence |
| listen | hearken |
| look | behold |
| love | love, dote on |
| man | sirrah |
| maybe | mayhap |
| message | missive |
| money | coin |
| morning | morn |
| mother | dam |
| mountain | mount |
| my | my, mine |
| night | night, even |
| no | nay |
| now | anon |
| old | ancient |
| peace | peace |
| perhaps | perchance |
| please | prithee |
| pretty | comely |
| river | stream |
| run | hie |
| sad | doleful |
| sea | brine |
| see | see, observe |
| speak | speak, prate |
| stop | cease |
| strong | stalwart |
| surprised | zounds |
| sword | blade |
| talk | discourse |
| there | thence |
| think | methinks |
| tired | weary |
| trust | trust |
| ugly | foul |
| walk | tread |
| war | war |
| where | whither |
| wisdom | sagacity |
| wise | sage |
| women | wenches |
| write | scribe |
| yes | ay |
| you | thou, thee |
| young | youthful |
| your | thy |
| yours | thine |
| are | art |
| has | hath |
| queen | sovereign lady |
| country | realm |
| battle | fray |
| letter | epistle |
| why | wherefore |
| soon | anon |
| away | hence |
| truly | verily |
| weak | feeble |
| beauty | comeliness |
| immediately | forthwith |
| sorrow | alas |
| foolish | follish |
| afternoon | noon |