Replacing letters with numbers is the first cipher most people learn – a secret note where 8 5 12 12 15 means HELLO. The A1Z26 system numbers the alphabet from 1 to 26; programmers often prefer A0Z25, starting at 0, because it fits modular arithmetic in ciphers like Caesar and Vigenère; and the reversed alphabet (A = 25 … Z = 0) is the numeric twin of the Atbash cipher. The same idea works for any alphabet: Greek has 24 letters, Russian Cyrillic 33, Hebrew 22 and Arabic 28.
Computers use a different numbering – character codes. ASCII and Unicode give “A” the value 65 and “a” 97, which can be written in decimal, hexadecimal (41, 61) or binary. Old mobile phones used a third system: the keypad, where 2 carries ABC, 3 DEF and so on, so “BIRTHDAY” is typed as 2 4 7 8 4 3 2 9. And for a chemistry twist, words that can be spelled with element symbols (Ba-Co-N) turn into atomic numbers (56 27 7).
The converter gives the numbers, the sum of all values – useful for word-value puzzles and number games – and a reference table for the chosen alphabet.
How to use the Letters to Numbers Converter
- Direction
- Text
- Encoding method
- Alphabet
- Separator between numbers
Everything is calculated in your browser, so results appear instantly and nothing you type is sent to a server.
How it works
Each letter is looked up in the chosen alphabet or code table (final forms such as ς, ם and ة count as their base letters). Words are separated by “ / ” in alphabet methods; characters with no value are skipped and listed. The periodic-table method splits each word into the fewest element symbols.
Worked example
“Hello world” in A1Z26: H = 8, E = 5, L = 12, L = 12, O = 15 / W = 23, O = 15, R = 18, L = 12, D = 4, written 8 5 12 12 15 / 23 15 18 12 4. The ten values add up to 124. With ASCII codes, “Apple” is 65 112 112 108 101.
A1Z26 table
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
Formula
A1Z26: value = position in the alphabet (A = 1 … Z = 26) · A0Z25: position − 1 · reversed: 26 − position
Word value = Σ letter values
Worked example
Inputs — Direction: Letters → numbers; Text: Hello world; Encoding method: A=1, B=2 … Z=26 (A1Z26); Alphabet: Latin (A–Z, 26 letters); Separator between numbers: Space.
Results — Result = 8 5 12 12 15 / 23 15 18 12 4; Sum of all values = 124; Letters converted = 10; Reference table = Letter Value Letter Value
───────────────────────────────
A 1 N 14
B 2 O 15
C 3 P 16
D 4 Q 17
E 5 R 18
F 6 S 19
G 7 T 20
H 8 U 21
I 9 V 22
J 10 W 23
K 11 X 24
L 12 Y 25
M 13 Z 26.
Key terms
- A1Z26
- Letter-to-number cipher with A = 1 to Z = 26.
- Atbash
- Cipher that maps the alphabet onto itself reversed (A ↔ Z).
- Code point
- The number Unicode assigns to a character, e.g. 65 for A.
- Atomic number
- The number of protons in an element, used for the periodic-table method.
Frequently asked questions
What is A1Z26?
A simple substitution cipher where each letter is replaced by its position in the alphabet: A = 1, B = 2 … Z = 26.
What is “hello” in numbers?
8 5 12 12 15 in A1Z26, or 7 4 11 11 14 if A = 0.
What is the sum of the letters in “hello”?
8 + 5 + 12 + 12 + 15 = 52.
How do I write letters as phone numbers?
Use the keypad method: ABC = 2, DEF = 3, GHI = 4, JKL = 5, MNO = 6, PQRS = 7, TUV = 8, WXYZ = 9; “BIRTHDAY” = 24784329.
What is the ASCII number of a letter?
Capital A–Z are 65–90 and lowercase a–z are 97–122.
Can I use Greek or Russian letters?
Yes – choose the alphabet. Greek α = 1 … ω = 24; Russian а = 1 … я = 33 (ё is the 7th letter).
Why does “Bacon” give 56 27 7?
In periodic-table mode the word is split into element symbols Ba (56), Co (27) and N (7).