Number–Letter Codes

This lesson builds on your knowledge of letter codes and introduces a trickier variation: questions where numbers and letters are mixed together. These questions test your ability to crack a code that uses both.

---

What Are Number–Letter Code Questions?

In these questions, words are converted into codes made of numbers, letters, or a mix of both. You are given several examples of the code and must work out the system, then apply it to encode or decode a new word.

---

Type 1: Letters Replaced by Numbers

Worked Example 1

Question: In a code, BEAR = 2-5-1-18. What is CAGE in the same code?

Step-by-step:

1. Look at the code: B=2, E=5, A=1, R=18.
2. These are just the alphabet positions: A=1, B=2, C=3, ... R=18.
3. Apply to CAGE:
   • C = 3
   • A = 1
   • G = 7
   • E = 5
4. Answer: 3-1-7-5

---

Worked Example 2: Shifted Numbers

Question: In a code, CAT = 4-2-21. What is DOG in the same code?