Reverse Gematria Explained: The Mirror Cipher

Reverse gematria is the mirror image of the standard English ordinal system. Where standard gematria assigns A=1 and Z=26, reverse gematria assigns Z=1 and A=26 — counting the alphabet backwards from the final letter to the first. The result is a second set of values for every word that can be compared against, and contrasted with, the ordinal values.

The Reverse English Alphabet Chart

Here are the complete reverse values for each letter:

• A=26  |  B=25  |  C=24  |  D=23  |  E=22  |  F=21  |  G=20  |  H=19  |  I=18
• J=17  |  K=16  |  L=15  |  M=14  |  N=13  |  O=12  |  P=11  |  Q=10  |  R=9
• S=8  |  T=7  |  U=6  |  V=5  |  W=4  |  X=3  |  Y=2  |  Z=1

Notice that every letter pair adds up to 27: A(26) + Z(1) = 27, B(25) + Y(2) = 27, and so on. This complementary relationship is exactly what gives the system its name.

Example Calculations

LOVE in reverse gematria:

• L = 15, O = 12, V = 5, E = 22
• Total = 54

This is the same value as LOVE in standard ordinal (L=12, O=15, V=22, E=5 = 54). Words that produce identical values in both standard and reverse systems are considered particularly symmetric — many practitioners treat them as especially significant.

GOD in reverse gematria:

• G = 20, O = 12, D = 23
• Total = 55

Compare this to GOD in standard ordinal (G=7, O=15, D=4 = 26). The two values are different, but 26 + 55 = 81 = 3 × 27, a pattern some practitioners note.

Why the Reverse System Exists

The reverse cipher reflects a longstanding tradition in both Hebrew and English gematria of using mirror techniques to reveal hidden relationships. In Hebrew, the equivalent is AtBash — a substitution cipher where Aleph swaps with Tav, Bet with Shin, and so on. The Book of Jeremiah contains what appear to be deliberate AtBash encodings (e.g., "Sheshach" in Jeremiah 25:26 decodes to "Babel" via AtBash).

English reverse gematria extends this logic to the Latin alphabet, creating a complementary layer of analysis that can confirm or challenge patterns found in standard ordinal calculations.

When to Use Reverse Gematria

• Cross-checking: If a connection you found in standard ordinal also appears in reverse, it carries more weight.
• Finding mirror words: Some practitioners specifically seek words that are "reversal partners" — pairs whose ordinal and reverse values match each other''s values in the opposite system.
• Exploring duality: The reverse system can be read as representing the shadow or opposite dimension of a concept — a useful framing in Kabbalistic-influenced analysis.

Try It Now

The Gematria Guru calculator displays English Reverse values alongside all other systems automatically. Type any word to see your ordinal and reverse values side by side and start identifying where they converge.