Phone Number Letters — the Keypad Behind Phonewords

The letters on a telephone keypad are what make a Phoneword possible: 2 carries ABC, 3 DEF, 4 GHI, 5 JKL, 6 MNO, 7 PQRS, 8 TUV and 9 WXYZ. A number that spells a word using those letters is a Phoneword, and it can sit on a 13, 1300 or 1800 number. The published example is 1300 327 934, which spells 1300 EASY DIAL.

The keypad mapping in full

2 — A, B, C
3 — D, E, F
4 — G, H, I
5 — J, K, L
6 — M, N, O
7 — P, Q, R, S
8 — T, U, V
9 — W, X, Y, Z

Two digits carry four letters (7 and 9); the rest carry three. The digits 0 and 1 carry no letters, which is why the six usable positions after a 1300 or 1800 prefix matter.

How many letters fit on each number type

The published limits follow the digit count: a 1300 or 1800 Phoneword carries up to six letters, and a 13 Phoneword carries up to four. So a six-letter word suits the 1300 and 1800 formats, while a four-letter word — or the first four letters of a longer one — is what fits a 13 base. Words longer than the limit are not truncated silently: the mapping simply has nowhere to go, so shortlist words that fit rather than ones that need trimming. Reading a written Phoneword is the same process in reverse: take the word, map each letter back to its digit, and the digits are the number.

Reading a written Phoneword back into digits

The reverse mapping is how customers actually use the letters: they see a word, translate each letter to its digit, and dial. Take 1300 EASY DIAL — E is 3, A is 2, S is 7, Y is 9, then D is 3, I is 4, A is 2, L is 5 — giving 1300 327 934, the number behind this site's own name. Practice makes the process fast, and it is also how you sanity-check any Phoneword you are offered: map the letters back and the digits should match the number exactly.

From letters to a number you can buy

Whether the word you want exists as an available number is a search question, and Find a Number is the tool for it: it searches available 1300/1800 Phonewords by word or by the last six digits — the prefix is not needed. Availability is not guaranteed for a specific word, and pricing starts from $40 per month with availability and desirability affecting the price. For the category itself, see the Phonewords overview.

Related reading: phone words converter for the word-to-digits mechanics, or phone number words to numbers for worked examples.

Phone number letter questions

What letters are on each phone keypad digit?

2 ABC, 3 DEF, 4 GHI, 5 JKL, 6 MNO, 7 PQRS, 8 TUV, 9 WXYZ. Digits 0 and 1 carry no letters.

How many letters can a Phoneword have?

Up to six on a 1300 or 1800 base and up to four on a 13 base, following each format's digit count.

How do I find a number that spells my word?

Search the word on Find a Number. It lists available 1300/1800 Phonewords; a specific word is not guaranteed until it is confirmed.

Do letters cost extra?

A Phoneword — the number that spells the word — starts from $40 per month, with availability and desirability affecting the price. The keypad letters themselves are just how the word maps to the digits.