A=1, B=2, C=3

When using such a technique, it is, of course, helpful if one can associate a letter with its numeric index quickly. While I don't really have all of the letters and their indices memorized, per se... I can make the associations in a matter of seconds (without having to count off on my fingers, "A, B, C...").

My method relies on knowing indices of many of the letters and then using those touchstones to count off to any unknown letters. Recently, while employng this method, I thought I should make a list of such aides. Here they are:

• The first five letters I just have memorized: A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4, E=5... so F and G can be counted off quickly from those.
• "H" I always remember as letter "8" because "aitch" and "eight" are pronounced similarly.
• For whatever reason I have always been able to remember that "J" is the 10th letter of the alphabet.
• Likewise, I also remember that "M" is the 13th letter... the last of the first half of the alphabet.
• I remember "N" (and "R") for the oddest reason. Years ago, singer Janet Jackson had an album (which I never owned) entitled "Rhythym Nation 1814" and it was trvially pointed out that the initials "R.N." correspond to the numbers "18,14". I have never forgotten this.
• I remember "T" is the twentieth letter because "twenty" starts with a "T".
• Things get a bit shaky after that, but fortunately I'm nearly at the end of the alphabet, so counting backward (with "Z" obviously being "26") works pretty efficiently.

-- Eric

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