What Is a Letters-to-Numbers Converter?

Quick answer: a letters-to-numbers converter replaces each letter with its place in the alphabet, so A becomes 1, B becomes 2, and Z becomes 26. HELLO turns into 8 5 12 12 15, and the same tool turns numbers back into letters. This simple code is often called A1Z26.

Numbering the alphabet is one of the oldest ways to hide a message in plain sight. Children use it for secret notes, teachers use it to practise alphabet order, and puzzle makers use it in escape rooms, treasure hunts and geocaches.

This converter works both ways and detects the direction for you. Change the rules with A=0 or a reversed alphabet, choose dashes, commas, dots or two-digit codes, and decide how words are separated. A word value calculator adds up the letters in names and phrases, a printable chart lists every letter with its number, and more than 20 formats show your text as circled numbers, phone keypad digits, ASCII codes, Roman numerals, and running totals.

• 26 Letters, A=1 to Z=26
• 3 Alphabet orders
• 5 Separator choices

Want circled or superscript digits on their own? Pick them from our text symbols library.

How Do You Convert Letters to Numbers?

1. Type or paste: Letters or numbers both work; the converter spots which you entered.
2. Set the rules: Pick A=1, A=0, or the reversed alphabet, and a separator.
3. Read the result: Words are split by a slash so the code stays readable.
4. Copy or swap: Copy the output, or swap it into the input to check the reverse.

What Number Is Each Letter of the Alphabet?

Letter	A=1	A=0	Reversed (Z=1)	Letter	A=1	A=0	Reversed (Z=1)
A	1	0	26	N	14	13	13
B	2	1	25	O	15	14	12
C	3	2	24	P	16	15	11
D	4	3	23	Q	17	16	10
E	5	4	22	R	18	17	9
F	6	5	21	S	19	18	8
G	7	6	20	T	20	19	7
H	8	7	19	U	21	20	6
I	9	8	18	V	22	21	5
J	10	9	17	W	23	22	4
K	11	10	16	X	24	23	3
L	12	11	15	Y	25	24	2
M	13	12	14	Z	26	25	1

A quick memory trick: E is 5, J is 10, O is 15, T is 20, and Y is 25, so any letter is at most two steps from a landmark.

Ancient Egypt had a number system too: see Egyptian numerals in our hieroglyphics translator.

Is the A1Z26 Cipher Secure?

No, and that is part of its charm. A1Z26 is a substitution code with a single key everyone can guess, so it hides a message only from people who do not try. Puzzle designers make it harder by reversing the alphabet, starting at zero, removing separators so 1 and 12 blur together, or combining it with a shift cipher first. For anything private, use real encryption, not a letter code.

Where Are Letter Number Codes Used?

• Escape rooms and treasure hunts: padlock codes and clue cards that players decode.
• Classrooms: alphabet order practice and simple maths with letter values.
• Geocaching: coordinates hidden in number puzzles.
• Love notes: 9 / 12 15 22 5 / 25 15 21 for someone who knows the trick.
• Word games: comparing the value of names or finding words that add up to a target.
• Phone keypad puzzles: words typed as the digits on a phone keypad.

For footnote numbers and exponents rather than codes, try the superscript generator.

Letter Number Terms

A1Z26

The code that numbers letters from A=1 to Z=26.

Zero-based index

Counting from 0, as programmers do, so A=0 and Z=25.

Reverse alphabet

Counting from the end, so Z=1 and A=26; it pairs well with the Atbash cipher.

Word value

The sum of the numbers of every letter in a word.

Digital root

Adding the digits of a number again and again until one digit remains.

ASCII code

The number a computer stores for a character, such as 65 for capital A.

What This Converter Includes

Two-way converter

Automatic direction detection.

Custom rules

A=1, A=0, reversed, five separators.

Word values

Totals and averages per line.

Printable chart

PNG download or plain text.

Keypad codes

T9 digits and multi-tap texting.

Pretty numbers

Circled, superscript, and Roman.

Running a quiz or escape room?

Download the alphabet number chart for players, then write your clues as numbers.

A=1 Get the Chart

Why Does My Decoded Message Look Wrong?

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Letters are shifted by one	The code started at A=0	Switch the alphabet to A=0
The message reads backwards in the alphabet	It used Z=1	Choose the reversed alphabet
1 and 12 run together	No separators were used	Select Nothing (two digits each) so pairs are read correctly
Question marks appear	A number is above 26	Check for typos or a different code, such as ASCII
Words merge into one	Word breaks were lost	Separate words with a slash or a double space

Tips for Number Puzzles

Give one example

Show that A=1 on the clue card if players are young.

Use two-digit codes

01 to 26 removes any doubt about where a letter ends.

Layer the code

Reverse the alphabet for a harder second round.

Check by swapping

Swap the output back into the input to confirm it decodes.

Another puzzle favourite is the Wingdings translator, which swaps letters for symbols.

Letters to Numbers FAQ

What is a letters-to-numbers converter?

A tool that turns each letter into its position in the alphabet, A=1 to Z=26, and can turn the numbers back into letters.

What number is the letter A?

A is 1 in the standard A1Z26 code, 0 when counting from zero, and 26 in the reversed alphabet.

What number is the letter Z?

Z is 26, or 25 when counting from zero, and 1 in the reversed alphabet.

How do I convert numbers back into letters?

Paste the numbers into the converter; it detects them and shows the letters. Separate words with a slash or double space.

What is the A1Z26 cipher?

The simple code where each letter is replaced by its alphabet number. It is a puzzle code, not real encryption.

Can I start the alphabet at zero?

Yes. Choose A=0 … Z=25 in the converter or use the A Starts at 0 format.

How do I make a reversed alphabet code?

Choose Reversed: Z=1 so that Z becomes 1 and A becomes 26.

What does the two-digit code do?

It writes every letter as two digits, 01 to 26, so no separator is needed between letters.

How do I find the value of a word?

Use the word value calculator or the Word Values format; it adds the numbers of all letters together.

What is the value of the word LOVE?

L12 + O15 + V22 + E5 = 54 in the A=1 alphabet.

How do phone keypad codes work?

Each letter becomes the digit on its phone key, so HELLO is 43556; multi-tap repeats the digit for each press.

Can I print an alphabet number chart?

Yes. Open the chart panel and download it as a PNG, or copy it as text.

Are numbers and symbols converted?

Letter codes skip them; the ASCII formats include every character.

What is the difference between A1Z26 and ASCII?

A1Z26 counts alphabet positions; ASCII uses computer codes, where A is 65, and a is 97.

Once a puzzle is solved, style the answer with the fancy text generator.

Does capitalisation matter?

No. Capital and small letters get the same number in the alphabet formats.

Can I use this for an escape room padlock?

Yes. Turn a word into numbers for a combination lock, or give players a number clue to decode.

What is the numerology 1 to 9 format?

It reduces the alphabet to nine values, A=1 to I=9 and then J=1 again, as used in the Pythagorean system.

Can I convert whole sentences?

Yes. Every word is converted and separated by your chosen word divider.

Is this letters-to-numbers converter free?

Yes. Conversions, charts, and calculations cost nothing, and you never create an account.

Is my text sent anywhere?

No. Conversions run in your browser only.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. All tools work in mobile browsers, and the chart saves to your gallery.

Convert Letters to Numbers

A=1 · Z=26

Two-way conversion, word values, and a printable chart. 1 2 3 Start Converting