Quickly Memorize the Alphabet Positions Using Mnemonics

Have you ever needed to know what number a letter corresponds to in the alphabet? Whether you're solving puzzles, cracking codes, or just learning for fun, we're going to make the process easy and fun with this list of creative and memorable tricks to help you recall each letter's position.

Recently I played some of the Quant Game Room games again, and found out they added a new one, called "Letter Speed". In that game player has to subtract the absolute difference of letter's alphabet for each row of a given column, and then pick the column with the highest total sum of such differences. It dawned on me that I lack the only prerequisite of the game - knowing alphabet position numbers. Thus, I went on the internet, and not without great delight discovered that an anonymous reddit user has already solved the problem for me. Below is the list of useful mnemonics for learning the alphabet positions.

🔤 The Basics (A–F)

These are easy. The letters A through F correspond to numbers 1 through 6. Just count them out:

• A = 1
• B = 2
• C = 3
• D = 4
• E = 5
• F = 6

🧭 The Ends and the Middle

• Z = 26
  The alphabet ends with Z. Easy!

• Y = 25
  Y comes just before Z.

• M = 13
  M is the middle letter in the 26-letter alphabet.

• L = 12
  L comes right before M (12 → L makes a good sound connection: “Twelve” almost sounds like “2 Ls”).

• N = 14
  N comes right after M.

🪙 Unique Letter Mnemonics (G–X)

• G = 7
  G for Gold. And 7 is often considered a lucky number. Lucky? You might strike gold!

• H = 8
  H and 8 look alike. Imagine putting a top and bottom bar on H—it becomes an 8.

• I = 9
  When you say “I”, point at yourself. You’ll have 9 other fingers not pointing at you.

• J = 10
  Think of the Jack in a deck of cards. It's often next to the 10.

• K = 11
  K is the 11th letter. Visually, K has one vertical line and two diagonal ones—just like 11 (1 and 1) in shape.

• O = 15
  Make an O shape with one hand (all 5 fingers) and imagine one straight finger from the other hand forming a full circle: 1 + 5 = 15.

• P & Q = 16 & 17
  These two letters are shaped similarly—mirror images. Group them together. A helpful phrase: "Mind your P’s and Q’s"—they go hand-in-hand.

• R = 18
  You must be 18 to watch an R-rated movie.

• S = 19
  S is for "Senior year" in high school—usually age 19 in some countries.

• T = 20
  T for Twenty. Easy and direct.

• U = 21
  You can legally drink alcohol in the U.S. at 21. U for "Underage no more!"

• V = 22
  V has 2 arms, and the number 2 repeated is 22. (You might think of "double victory".)

• W = 23
  Look at W—it has 2 points down, 3 points up. 2–3 = 23.

• X = 24
  Think of X-rays. Hospitals, which give X-rays, are often open 24 hours.

🧠 Tips for Memorizing

1. Chunking helps: Group letters into sets of 5 or by themes (middle, end, visual shape).
2. Use visuals: Sketch letters and their number associations.
3. Make it personal: Link letters to events, people, or concepts in your own life.
4. Quiz yourself: Try writing A–Z and filling in the numbers without looking.

With a bit of imagination and repetition, you’ll memorize the alphabet’s numerical positions in no time. Happy learning!