Concept 1 of 6
Alphabet Position: A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26
Today's big idea
Jump to the nearest anchor (E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20), then count the last few steps.
Landmark letters like E, J, O and T save counting from A every time.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
When your class lines up, you know who is first, who is fourth and who is last. The alphabet lines up in exactly the same way. A stands first, B stands second, and Z stands right at the back in place 26.
💡 Here's the trick
Look at the strip above. Four squares are shaded gold: E, J, O and T. Those four are your anchors, worth 5, 10, 15 and 20. Once you know them you never count all the way from A again.
🪄 How to do it
- 1.Find the nearest gold anchor to your letter on the strip above.
- 2.Write down that anchor's number: E is 5, J is 10, O is 15, T is 20.
- 3.Step forward or backward from the anchor to your letter.
- 4.The number you land on is your letter's position.
✍️ Try it
Which letter sits at position 12? Now a harder one: the positions of F and one more letter add up to 20. Which letter is it?
Position 12 is L, because J is 10, then K is 11 and L is 12. For the second, F is 6 and 20 minus 6 is 14, and the 14th letter is N.
⚠️ Watch out
You might be thinking you can just count up from A every single time. That is fine for B or C. For W you would count 23 steps, and one slip ruins every count after it. From the anchor T you only step three places.
🌟 Why this matters
Alphabet positions are the reason a register, a contact list and a library shelf all sort themselves the same way. Knowing O is 15 tells you an O name sits past the middle, so you open the folder near the back.
Exam tip: Class 3 reasoning questions ask for a letter's position directly, so these four anchors save real time.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“What is the 7th letter of the English alphabet?”
- 1
Pick the nearest anchor
Anchor: E = 5.
- 2
Count forward to 7
E (5) → F (6) → G (7).
- 3
Confirm
5 + 2 = 7 → G
- 4
Answer ✓
7th letter = G
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
Slide the marker to position 7 and read the letter.
ALPHABET POSITION · ROUND 1 OF 3
Find the 7th letter
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
What is the position of the letter V in the alphabet?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Letter Codes
Pick one letter pair, count the gap. That's your shift.