# A1Z26 Letter-Number Workbench

Convert between letters and numbers (A=1, B=2, … Z=26) with configurable separator and case, decode numbers back to letters, and compute the letter sum of any text.

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/a1z26-letter-number-workbench

- **Category:** Text Processing

- **Keywords:** a1z26, letter to number, alphabet number, letter sum, gematria, substitution cipher, a=1 b=2

## Overview

A1Z26 is the simplest substitution cipher: each Latin letter maps to its position in the alphabet (A=1, B=2, …, Z=26). This workbench encodes text to numbers, decodes a sequence of numbers back into letters, and computes a letter-sum (useful for numerology / gematria-style puzzles). You control the output separator (hyphen, space, comma, none) and the case handling (force upper/lower or preserve). Non-letter characters are ignored on encode and reported; on decode, invalid tokens (outside 1–26) are skipped and counted.

## Inputs

- **Text** (textarea): e.g. ABC → 1-2-3
- **Mode** (select)
- **Separator** (select)
- **Case** (select)

## When to use

- Encode a word or phrase as A1Z26 numbers for a simple substitution-cipher puzzle.
- Decode a sequence such as 20-8-5 back into letters.
- Calculate the A1Z26 letter sum of text for numerology or gematria-style puzzles.

## How it works

- Enter text or a number sequence in the Text field.
- Choose Encode, Decode, or Letter sum mode.
- For encoded output, select a hyphen, space, comma, or no separator.
- Choose uppercase, lowercase, or preserved case for decoded letters, then review the result and any reported ignored or invalid characters.

## Use cases

- Create numeric clues and simple substitution-cipher challenges.
- Check or decode alphabet-position messages in puzzles and word games.
- Compare letter totals for numerology or gematria-style text exercises.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the A1Z26 cipher?

A1Z26 maps each Latin letter to its alphabet position: A=1, B=2, through Z=26.

### Can this tool convert letters to numbers?

Yes. Use Encode mode to convert letters into A1Z26 numbers.

### Can I decode numbers back into letters?

Yes. Use Decode mode with a sequence of numbers from 1 through 26.

### What happens to non-letter characters during encoding?

Non-letter characters are ignored and reported in the output.

### How are invalid numbers handled during decoding?

Number tokens outside the range 1–26 are skipped and counted.

## Related tools

- [Extended Text Base Codecs (Base65536 + netstring)](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/extended-text-base-codecs): Encode and decode with less-common text codecs: Base65536 (binary → dense Unicode) and netstring (self-delimiting framing). Base85 is intentionally not rebuilt (already covered).
- [Leetspeak Decoder & Detector](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/leetspeak-decoder-detector): Decode leetspeak (1337) to plain text and score how plausibly leet an input is — for password-policy bypass screening, profanity-filter evasion, and log-noise filtering.
- [Rail Fence (ZigZag) Cipher](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/zigzag-railfence-text): Encode, decode, visualize, and brute-force the Rail Fence transposition cipher. See the zigzag rail grid and try all rail counts to crack a ciphertext.
- [Leet Speak Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/leet-speak-converter): Convert text to and from leet speak (1337). Encode with Basic, Full, or Caps styles, or decode leet back to plain text.
- [Morse Code Translator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/morse-code-translator): Translate text to and from International Morse Code (ITU-R M.1677) with live audio playback. Auto-detects direction, adjustable WPM speed (PARIS standard) and tone frequency.
- [PCIe Link Training LTSSM & Lane Margining Eye Decoder](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pcie-link-training-linkstate-and-lane-margining-eye-decode): Decode a PCIe link training log (LTSSM state sequence plus TS1/TS2 ordered sets) into the full Gen1-Gen6 state timeline: negotiated speed and width, rate identifier bits, lane reversal, polarity inversion, equalization phases and Detect/Recovery restart diagnostics. Also grades a lane margining report (pcilmr CSV or key=value) against the PCIe Base Spec Rev 5.0 §8.4.2 eye minimums per generation and renders a per-lane eye-margin heatmap SVG.
- [ASCII85 Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/ascii85-converter): Encode and decode text to/from ASCII85 format (Adobe version)
- [Base32 Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/base32-converter): Encode and decode text to/from Base32 format with multiple variants

## Samples

- [EU VAT Number Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/eu-vat): Collection of EU VAT numbers from all member states for validation testing
- [Global Phone Number Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/global-phone): Collection of phone numbers from various countries for validation testing
- [Number & Currency Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/number-currency-samples): Text containing various number and currency formats for testing currency extraction
- [Passport Number Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/passport): Collection of valid passport number samples from various countries (China, USA, Japan, UK, Germany, etc.) for testing