Letter positions in a flash

Hello, and welcome to Myriora English! In eleven plus verbal reasoning, you often need to know a letter's place in the alphabet. What number is the letter T? Let's learn to find it in a flash!

You could count from A every time. But that's slow, and it's easy to slip. So let's learn some landmarks instead.

Count in fives: five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five. The letters in those places are E, J, O, T and Y. Say them together: E, J, O, T, Y!

Now every letter is close to a landmark. What number is R? R is two before T. T is twenty, so R is eighteen. And L? L is two after J. J is ten, so L is twelve.

Here's a second trick. Fold the alphabet in half. A pairs with Z, B with Y, and C with X. Each pair adds up to twenty-seven: one plus twenty-six. So G, number seven, pairs with number twenty: that's T!

Let's try one together. What number is the letter W? Find the nearest landmark. Say it out loud!

W is two before Y. Y is twenty-five, so W is twenty-three. Well done if you said twenty-three!

Here's a common mistake. What number is Q? Some people count back from O, and say thirteen. But Q comes after O in the alphabet. So count on: O is fifteen, P is sixteen, Q is seventeen.

Your turn! What number is the letter V? Pick the right card. You've got eight seconds, or pause the video. Go!

Time's up! V is two after T. T is twenty, so V is twenty-two!

Quick review. E, J, O, T and Y are five, ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five. Count on or back from the nearest landmark. And mirror pairs always add up to twenty-seven. See you next time!