Letter Positions Tutorial 🔢🔤✅

Master A=1 to Z=26 mapping, position finding, letter-to-number conversion & ordering techniques. Perfect for competitive exams & aptitude tests! 🚀

What You'll Learn 🎯

• Map any letter to its position (A=1 … Z=26) and back 🔄
• Find the letter at a given index and the index of a given letter 🔍
• Use positions to compare ordering, before/after, and between 📊
• Apply positions to support shifting and sorting tasks ⚡
• Master advanced position calculations and formulas 🧮

Core Rules 📌

• Alphabet indices: A=1, B=2, C=3, …, Z=26
• Always use 1-based indexing (A starts at 1, not 0)
• Use the alphabet line for visual counting
• Positions help in sorting, before/after, and sequences
• Memorize key anchor positions for speed

Alphabet Line with Positions 🔤

Visual reference for quick position lookup:

A(1) B(2) C(3) D(4) E(5) F(6) G(7) H(8) I(9) J(10) K(11) L(12) M(13)

N(14) O(15) P(16) Q(17) R(18) S(19) T(20) U(21) V(22) W(23) X(24) Y(25) Z(26)

Examples with Step-by-Step Solutions 🧪

Find Letter by Position 🔢→🔤

Example 1: Find the 8th letter

1. Count from A: A(1), B(2), C(3), D(4), E(5), F(6), G(7), H(8)
2. Answer: H

Example 2: Find the 20th letter

1. Use anchor O(15): 20 = 15 + 5
2. Count 5 from O: O, P, Q, R, S, T
3. Answer: T

Find Position by Letter 🔤→🔢

Example 1: Position of C?

1. Count from A: A(1), B(2), C(3)
2. Answer: 3

Example 2: Position of W?

1. Use anchor T(20): W is 3 after T
2. 20 + 3 = 23
3. Answer: 23

Ordering by Position 📊

Problem: Order R, P, T, Q ascending

1. Convert to positions: R=18, P=16, T=20, Q=17
2. Sort numerically: 16, 17, 18, 20
3. Convert back: P, Q, R, T
4. Answer: P, Q, R, T

Comparison ⚖️

Problem: Which comes earlier: J or L?

1. Find positions: J=10, L=12
2. Compare: 10 12
3. Answer: J comes first

Position Reference Table 📋

1-5: A, B, C, D, E
First group (vowel E) 6-10: F, G, H, I, J
Second group (vowel I) 11-15: K, L, M, N, O
Middle group (vowel O) 16-20: P, Q, R, S, T
Fourth group 21-26: U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Last group (vowel U)

Advanced Techniques 🚀

Reverse Position Formula

Formula: Position from Z = 27 − Position from A

Example: M(13) from Z = 27−13 = 14

Use: Finding mirror letters

Middle Position

Formula: (Pos1 + Pos2) ÷ 2

Example: Between D(4) and L(12): (4+12)÷2 = 8 → H

Use: Finding letter between two letters

Distance Between Letters

Formula: |Pos2 − Pos1|

Example: C(3) to H(8): |8−3| = 5 positions

Use: Counting letters between

Sum of Positions

Formula: Pos1 + Pos2 = New Position

Example: A(1) + E(5) = 6 → F

Use: Finding resultant letter

Real Exam Questions 📝

Question 1

Q: What is the position of the letter that is 10 positions after A?

Solution:

1. A = 1
2. 1 + 10 = 11
3. 11th letter = K
4. Answer: Position 11 (letter K)

Question 2

Q: How many letters are between D and S (exclusive)?

Solution:

1. D = 4, S = 19
2. Exclusive: 19 − 4 − 1 = 14
3. Letters: E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R
4. Answer: 14 letters

Question 3

Q: Which letter is at the position equal to the sum of positions of B and D?

Solution:

1. B = 2, D = 4
2. Sum: 2 + 4 = 6
3. 6th letter = F
4. Answer: F

Question 4

Q: What is the average position of A, M, and Z?

Solution:

1. A=1, M=13, Z=26
2. Average: (1+13+26)÷3 = 40÷3 = 13.33
3. Round to 13 → M
4. Answer: M (position 13)

Speed Techniques ⚡

• Memorize key anchors: A(1), E(5), J(10), O(15), T(20), Y(25), Z(26)
• Use vowels as reference: A(1), E(5), I(9), O(15), U(21)
• Chunk method: Divide alphabet into 5 groups of 5 letters + Z
• Finger counting: Use fingers to count positions quickly
• Mirror technique: A+Z=27, B+Y=27, C+X=27 (complementary pairs)
• Backward counting: For positions 13, count backwards from Z(26)
• Mental visualization: Practice visualizing the alphabet line in your mind

Practice Challenge 🎮

Try these progressively harder problems to test your mastery:

1. Level 1: What is the position of G?
2. Level 2: Which letter is at position 17?
3. Level 3: How many letters are between F and N (exclusive)?
4. Level 4: What is the sum of positions of C, E, and G?
5. Level 5: Which letter is at the average position of A, M, and Z?

Answers: 1) 7 2) Q 3) 7 letters 4) 15 5) M (position 13)

Common Mistakes to Avoid ⚠️

• Off-by-one errors: Remember A=1 (not A=0) - always use 1-based indexing
• Inclusive vs exclusive: "Between" usually means exclusive (don't count endpoints)
• Anchor confusion: J=10 (not 9), O=15 (not 14), T=20 (not 19)
• Reverse position errors: Use formula 27−n correctly for position from Z
• Sorting mistakes: Always convert to positions first, sort, then convert back
• Counting mistakes: Always verify by counting on the alphabet line

Solving Strategy 🔍

1. Memorize anchors: Learn key positions (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 26)
2. For finding letter: Use nearest anchor, then count forward/backward
3. For finding position: Use anchors to estimate, then verify by counting
4. For ordering: Convert all letters to positions, sort numerically, convert back
5. For comparison: Compare positions directly (smaller number = earlier letter)
6. For calculations: Use formulas for distance, middle, sum, etc.
7. Always verify: Double-check your answer by counting on the alphabet

Practice Problems by Difficulty 📝

Easy 🟢

• Find the 5th letter
• Find the position of M
• Which is first: B or D?
• Order A, C, B ascending
• Position of vowel E?

Medium 🟡

• Find the 22nd letter
• What is the position of Y?
• Order K, H, N, E ascending
• Which comes earlier: S or P?
• How many letters before N?

Hard 🔴

• Find the 15th letter
• Position of X from Z?
• Order V, B, R, G, J, T ascending
• Find letter between N and P
• Sum of positions of D, H, L?

Quick Reference Checklist ✅

• ☐ Remember A=1, Z=26 (1-based indexing, not 0-based)
• ☐ Use anchor positions for fast navigation (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 26)
• ☐ Convert all letters to positions before sorting or comparing
• ☐ Use formulas for advanced calculations (distance, middle, sum)
• ☐ Always verify your answer by counting on the alphabet line
• ☐ Practice daily to build speed and accuracy

Ready to Practice? 🎯

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