Dictionary Order & Alphabet

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Letter positions and shifts

⏱ 5 min read🧩 5 question types🎯 13 practice Q

The idea in one minute

Treat the alphabet as a numbered strip: A = 1 to Z = 26. Learn five anchors, the word EJOTY: E 5, J 10, O 15, T 20, Y 25. Every position question is then small arithmetic. Counting from the right uses the mirror rule: the two positions of a letter add to 27.

The alphabet as a numbered strip

A is 1, B is 2 ... Z is 26. Learn five anchors, the word EJOTY: E = 5, J = 10, O = 15, T = 20, Y = 25.

Every other letter is a short hop from an anchor. G = J − 3 = 7. R = T − 2 = 18. W = Y − 2 = 23.

Tip: Never count from A. Jump to the nearest anchor, then step one or two places.

Letters between two letters

"How many letters lie between G and S?" Positions: G = 7, S = 19. Between excludes both ends: 19 − 7 − 1 = 11.

The same rule with another pair: J = 10 and V = 22, so the letters between them number 22 − 10 − 1 = 11 too. Equal answers like this are common, because many pairs sit 12 places apart.

Rule: Letters between = difference of positions − 1. The minus one removes one end; "between" already excludes the other.

The mirror: counting from the right

Every letter has two positions. T is 20th from the left. From the right, T is 27 − 20 = 7th.

The two positions always add to 27: 26 letters plus one. So the 9th from the right is the 27 − 9 = 18th from the left, which is R.

Watch: The magic number is 27, never 26. Forgetting the plus one is the classic slip.

Letter arithmetic

Some questions chain two clauses: "which letter is 4th to the right of the 12th letter from the left?"

Turn every clause into a from-the-left position.
"To the right of" adds. "To the left of" subtracts.
Read the final letter from the anchors.

12 + 4 = 16 → P. And "6th to the left of the 8th letter from the right": 27 − 8 = 19 (S), then 19 − 6 = 13 → M.

Example: "5th to the left of the 20th letter from the right". 27 − 20 = 7 (G). Then 7 − 5 = 2 → B.

Modified alphabets

Some questions rewrite the strip first, then ask a position.

Full reverse: Z, Y, X ... A. The letter at position p of the reversed strip is the normal letter 27 − p. Position 5 is V.
Half reverse: A to M written backwards, then N to Z. The strip reads M, L, K, J, I, H, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, N, O ...

Write the new strip once on paper. Count on it. Never shift letters in your head. In the half-reversed strip the 10th letter is D, not J.

Watch: In the half-reversed strip, positions after 13 behave normally again (N is 14th). Convert only the half that was changed.

Check every answer

Before marking, confirm with an anchor. Position 16 should be four steps before T (20), which is P. If your letter lands more than five places from the anchor you expected, recount.

A full worked run: "Which letter is 6th to the right of the 14th letter from the left?" J is the 14th letter (anchor). Right steps add: 14 + 6 = 20. Position 20 is the anchor T itself. Answer: T. Two hops, no counting.

Question types you will see

Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.

Type 1very common2 practice Q

Absolute position via EJOTY anchors

How to spot it:

'Which is the 15th letter' or 'how many letters between X and Y'.

Method

Step from the nearest anchor (E5, J10, O15, T20, Y25).
For 'between', subtract the positions and subtract one more.
Confirm the letter sits within 5 of the anchor you used.

Why it works:

Five anchors turn 26 positions into five short hops.

Try this

How many letters of the alphabet are there between G and S?

Show solution

G is 7 (J − 3). S is 19 (T − 1).
19 − 7 = 12 positions apart.
Between excludes both ends: 12 − 1 = 11.

Answer

Type 2very common2 practice Q

Mirror positions from the right

How to spot it:

'k-th from the right' or 'the position of letter X from the right'.

p_{\text{right}} = 27 - p_{\text{left}}

Method

Write the letter's from-left position from the anchors.
From-right position = 27 − from-left position.
Remember the 27: 26 letters plus one.

Why it works:

Counting from the right mirrors the strip, and a mirror maps p to 27 − p.

Try this

What is the position of the letter T from the right of the alphabet?

Show solution

T is the 20th letter from the left (anchor).
27 − 20 = 7.
T is 7th from the right.

Answer

7th

Type 3common2 practice Q

Letter arithmetic (left or right of a position)

How to spot it:

'Which letter is 4th to the right of the 12th from the left' — two clauses in one question.

p' = p \pm k

Method

Convert every clause to a from-the-left number (mirror any 'from the right').
Right steps add; left steps subtract.
Read the letter off the EJOTY anchors.

Why it works:

The alphabet strip is a number line; the question is one addition or subtraction on it.

Try this

Which letter is 6th to the left of the 8th letter from the right?

Show solution

8th from the right = 27 − 8 = 19th from the left = S.
Left steps subtract: 19 − 6 = 13.
13 = M.

Answer

Type 4common2 practice Q

Modified or reversed alphabet

How to spot it:

'First half written in reverse' or 'alphabet in reverse order', followed by a position question.

Method

Write the new 26-letter strip once on paper.
Count the asked position on the new strip.
For the full reverse only: position p reads the normal letter 27 − p.

Why it works:

A rewrite is a one-time setup; after that it is plain counting.

Try this

If A to M is written in reverse order, followed by N to Z, which letter is 10th from the left?

Show solution

The new strip starts M, L, K, J, I, H, G, F, E, D, then C, B, A, N, O ...
Count to 10: M1 L2 K3 J4 I5 H6 G7 F8 E9 D10.
The 10th letter is D.

Answer

Type 5occasional

Midway letter between two letters

How to spot it:

'Which letter lies exactly midway between X and Y?'

p_{\text{mid}} = \dfrac{p_X + p_Y}{2}

Method

Write both positions from the anchors.
Average them. An odd sum has no exact midway letter.
Convert the average back to a letter.

Why it works:

Midway means the average position; equal counts of letters sit on both sides.

Try this

Which letter lies exactly midway between E and U?

Show solution

E = 5 and U = 21.
(5 + 21) ÷ 2 = 13.
13 = M.

Answer

Formula sheet

Position from the right

p_{\text{right}} = 27 - p_{\text{left}}

The two positions of the same letter add to 27.

Shifted position

p' = p \pm k

Move right (+) or left (−) by k letters, staying inside 1 to 26.

Shortcuts that save time

⚡ EJOTY plus a tiny shift

Anchor at the nearest of E, J, O, T, Y and step from there. Position 18 is T (20) minus 2, which is R. Two seconds, no counting.

Example

Which letter is 7th to the right of the 10th letter of the alphabet?

Show solution

The 10th letter is J (anchor).
10 + 7 = 17.
17 = O (15) + 2 → Q.

Answer

⚡ The 27 mirror

Any from-the-right count becomes from-the-left by 27 − k. Convert first, then do everything else from the left.

Example

Which letter is 9th from the right of the alphabet?

Show solution

From the right 9 → from the left 27 − 9 = 18.
18 = T − 2 → R.

Answer

Mistakes to avoid

Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.

Mistake 01

Using 26 instead of 27 in from-the-right conversions.

The two positions add to 27: 26 letters plus one.

Mistake 02

Slipping past A or Z on shifts.

Check the result stays between 1 and 26; adjust by 26 if you cross an end.

Mistake 03

Reading 'the 10th letter' as '10 letters after it'.

First find the letter at the position, then apply the shift.

Mistake 04

Doing modified-alphabet questions by mental shifting.

Write the new 26-letter strip once, then count on paper.

Mistake 05

Counting an end letter inside 'between'.

Between = difference − 1; both ends are excluded.

Quick revision

Read this the night before the exam.

EJOTY anchors: E5, J10, O15, T20, Y25.
Letters between X and Y = position difference − 1.
From the right k = from the left 27 − k.
Right steps add, left steps subtract — after converting every clause to from-the-left.
Full reverse: position p reads the normal letter 27 − p.
Modified strip: write it out once, then count on paper.

Practice: 13 questions

Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.

Topic test · 13 questions

Suggested time 9 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.

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