William Shakespeare wrote approximately 38 to 39 plays. The generally accepted number is around 38 plays, including comedies, histories, and tragedies

. Some sources list 39 plays, which includes collaborations and disputed works such as King Edward III and Sir Thomas More

. The First Folio, published in 1623, contains 36 of his plays, but additional works like Pericles, Prince of Tyre and The Two Noble Kinsmen are now widely accepted as part of his canon, raising the count slightly

. There are also lost plays like Cardenio that have not survived

. In summary, Shakespeare's canon typically includes:

• 36 plays from the First Folio
• Plus at least two more accepted collaborations (Pericles and The Two Noble Kinsmen)
• Possibly up to 39 plays when including disputed or partially attributed works

Thus, the commonly cited figure is about 38 plays written or co-written by Shakespeare.