Early Modern to modern
Shakespeare to Modern English Translator
Translate Shakespeare’s English into plain modern English: thou, thee, hath, doth, wherefore, anon and more, with a short list of every word it changed.
Modern English
12 of 24 words translated.
Early Modern English to Modern English by dictionary and rules. Words it does not know stay as typed. Meanings that changed (such as "wherefore") are explained in the word list.
Words it changed
- Wherefore → Why "Wherefore" means "why", not "where". Juliet's "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" asks why he is a Montague.
- art → are "Art" is the old "you are" after thou.
- thou → you
- Prithee → Please Short for "I pray thee".
- knowest → know Old -est / -eth verb ending removed.
- Methinks → I think Literally "it seems to me".
- thy → your
- doth → does
- hither → here Means "to this place".
- anon → soon In Shakespeare it often means "right away" or "coming!" (a servant answering a call), not "later".
- 'tis → it is
The text you type stays in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server or saved by this tool, and it works from the word lists on this page. Use Copy or Download to keep a result.
What the reverse translator does
Paste a line from Shakespeare or any Early Modern text and get plainer modern English. It handles the pronouns (thou, thee, thy, thine, ye), the common verb forms (art, hast, dost, doth, hath, wilt, canst, shalt, wert), and the -est and -eth endings on about 100 common verbs.
It also knows a list of Shakespearean words, such as anon, ere, hence, hither, thither, whence, prithee, mayhap, forsooth, methinks, oft, nay, aye and sirrah.
Wherefore means why
The most common misreading is “wherefore.” In “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” Juliet is asking why he is Romeo, not where he is. The tool changes wherefore to why and adds a note in the word list.
The word list
Below each result you get a short list of every word that changed, with a note where the old meaning is easy to miss. Use it to check the tool against an annotated edition.
What it does not do
It does not unscramble inverted sentences, explain puns, or turn verse into prose. Words it does not know stay as typed, and “art” or “wilt” change only when they appear next to thou, because they have other meanings. For a whole play, use an annotated edition.
Common questions
What does “wherefore” mean in Shakespeare?
It means “why.” Juliet’s line asks why Romeo has to be a Montague, not where he is.
Can it translate a whole play?
It can translate any text you paste, within the size limit, but it only swaps words and endings. Grammar, jokes and verse are not rewritten, so an annotated edition is better for study.
The studio notebook
A useful place to begin.
Clear steps, considered details, and ideas you can put to use.
Old English, Middle English and Early Modern English: what each one is
A plain guide to the three older stages of English: Anglo-Saxon, Chaucer’s Middle English and Shakespeare’s Early Modern English, with rough dates and one word in all three.
Thou, thee, thy and thine: how the old pronouns work
What thou, thee, thy, thine and ye actually mean, how verbs change after them, and the mistakes that make fake old English look wrong.
Shakespeare’s words that changed meaning: wherefore, anon and more
Wherefore means why, not where. Learn that and a short list of other Shakespearean words that look familiar or foreign, and what they meant to his audience.
How to write a convincing medieval or fantasy letter or toast
Practical steps for party invitations, game messages and toasts in a playful medieval voice: the opening, thee and thou, concrete words, and what to avoid.
Reading Chaucer: how Middle English spelling works
Why Middle English looks so strange, which letters and silent-looking spellings you will meet, and a simple method for reading a line of Chaucer.
Old English letters: æ, þ, ð and ƿ, and how to type them
What the four special Old English letters are, how they sound, why modern editions change them, and ways to type each one on Windows, Mac and phones.