# A1Z26 Cipher > Decode and encode the A1Z26 cipher, where A=1, B=2 and Z=26: letters to numbers and numbers to letters, with a full chart and puzzle tips. - Page: https://linguaholic.com/tools/a1z26-cipher/ - Type: free online tool (Converters & translators), no sign-up, runs in the browser - Publisher: Linguaholic (https://linguaholic.com/), made by Marcel Iseli - Last updated: October 3, 2026 - Open it pre-filled: https://linguaholic.com/tools/a1z26-cipher/?text=8-5-12-12-15&mode=decode - `text`: text to encode, or numbers to decode (for example `hello`) - `mode`: direction: encode (letters to numbers, the default) or decode (numbers to letters) (for example `decode`) - `open`: open a section: steps (A1Z26 lookup table and worked letters), frequency (letter counts) or identify (which cipher is this?) (for example `steps`) ## What is the A1Z26 cipher? The **A1Z26 cipher** swaps every letter for its place in the alphabet. A is 1, B is 2, C is 3, and so on down to Z, which is 26. The name is the rule itself: A goes with 1 and Z goes with 26. You will also see it called the **letter to number cipher**, the alphabet number code, or simply numbers for letters. It is the first code most people learn, because there is nothing to memorize and nothing to agree on in advance. That makes it a favorite for escape rooms, treasure hunts, birthday puzzles and classroom code breaking. For example, **MEET ME AT NOON** in A1Z26 is `13-5-5-20 13-5 1-20 14-15-15-14`. ## How to use the A1Z26 decoder and encoder 1. Choose **Encode** to turn letters into numbers, or **Decode** to turn numbers back into letters. 2. Type or paste your text. When you decode, the numbers can be separated by dashes, spaces, commas or slashes: anything that is not a digit counts as a break between letters, and a space marks a new word. 3. Read the result as you type, then tap **Copy**. When encoding, the tool joins the letters of a word with dashes and separates words with spaces, which is the most common way to write A1Z26. Numbers outside 1 to 26, punctuation and accents are skipped. The lookup table in the tool shows which number became which letter, so you can check a puzzle step by step. And if you are holding a string of numbers and are not sure it is A1Z26 at all, the cipher helper can suggest which code it looks like. ## Frequently asked questions **What is the A1Z26 cipher?** A1Z26 is a simple cipher that replaces each letter with its position in the alphabet: A=1, B=2, C=3 and so on up to Z=26. Letters in a word are usually joined with dashes and words separated by spaces, so HI is 8-9. **How do you decode A1Z26?** Replace each number with the letter at that position in the alphabet: 1 is A, 13 is M, 26 is Z. In the tool, choose Decode and paste the numbers; dashes, spaces, commas or slashes all work as separators. **What does A1Z26 stand for?** The name is the rule itself: A is 1 and Z is 26. It is also called the letter to number cipher or the alphabet number code. **Is there a quick way to remember the A1Z26 numbers?** Learn every fifth letter: E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20 and Y=25 (the made-up word EJOTY). Any other letter is one or two steps from one of them. **What is reverse A1Z26?** Reverse A1Z26 counts from the other end, so Z=1, Y=2 and A=26. It equals Atbash followed by A1Z26: decode the numbers normally, then run the result through an Atbash decoder. **What if the A1Z26 numbers have no spaces or dashes?** Then the message can often be read in several ways, because 1 and 2 can start a two-digit number. Try the splits that give real words: 851216 can be HEABAF or HELP, and only HELP makes sense. **Is A1Z26 the same as a Caesar cipher?** No. A Caesar cipher shifts letters to other letters, while A1Z26 turns letters into numbers. Puzzles often combine them, along with Atbash, so the numbers do not give the answer away at once. **How can I use A1Z26 in an escape room?** Use it for number locks: a word made of letters before J, such as FACE, becomes a code of single digits (6135). Hide the word in the room and leave a small A=1 card as the hint. **Is A1Z26 secure?** No. It has no key, so anyone who recognizes it can read it. It is great for puzzles, games and teaching, not for private messages. **Is this A1Z26 tool free and private?** Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no sign-up, and nothing you type is uploaded or stored. ## Data sources The code breaker's English letter frequencies and word checks come from Linguaholic’s English dictionary, built from the open ENABLE and SCOWL word lists. Licenses and notices: https://linguaholic.com/tools/data/dict/v1/NOTICE.txt ## Related tools - [Caesar Cipher](https://linguaholic.com/tools/caesar-cipher/): Encode and decode the Caesar shift cipher with any shift from 1 to 25, or crack a message without the key: every shift is tried and ranked for you. - [Atbash Cipher](https://linguaholic.com/tools/atbash-cipher/): Encode and decode the Atbash cipher, which swaps each letter with its mirror (A↔Z, B↔Y), with the alphabet chart, step-by-step working and examples. - [Polybius Square](https://linguaholic.com/tools/polybius-square/): Decode and encode the Polybius square cipher, which turns each letter into its row and column in a 5×5 grid (I and J share a cell). - [Bacon Cipher](https://linguaholic.com/tools/bacon-cipher/): Encode and decode the Bacon (Baconian) cipher, which writes each letter as five A/B symbols, with both alphabets and how to hide and find secret messages. - [Tap Code](https://linguaholic.com/tools/tap-code/): Translate text to tap code and back: the 5×5 knock code American prisoners of war tapped through cell walls, with the full chart and how to tap it. - [Morse Code Translator](https://linguaholic.com/tools/morse-code-translator/): Translate text to Morse code and decode it back, hear it as adjustable-speed sound with a visual flasher, and read the full Morse alphabet, number, and punctuation chart.