How to Write Words With a Calculator

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 20, 2023 References

Students have been spelling words on calculators in math class for decades. Luckily, that means there are long lists of words you can spell on a calculator and the numbers you need to make them. Older calculators work better for this trick, so ask your parents if they still have their school calculators lying around somewhere. See how many words you can spell!

Calculator Help

Sample Calculator Letter List

Sample Calculator Word List

Sample Calculator Name List

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using the Hexadecimal Mode

1
Switch your calculator to hexadecimal mode. Not all calculators have a hexadecimal mode, but if yours does, you will have more letters to spell words with. You will be able to tell if your calculator has a hexadecimal mode if you see the letters A-F on the keyboard.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Calculators that have hexadecimal mode include Casios and Texas Instruments.
2
Use a combination of letters and numbers to spell words. In hexadecimal mode, you will have the letters A, B, C, D, E, and F. You can also use the numbers 1 for I, 0 for O, and 5 for S.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- For example, you can spell the word "see" using 5EE.
- Some other words you can spell include BASS, DIE, BOSS, DOE, and SEA.
Advertisement
3
Create even more combinations by turning your calculator upside down. When you turn your calculator upside down in hexadecimal mode, you can turn b into q and d into p. Along with q and p, you can make the letters O, D, I, Z, E, h, A, S, g/q, L, B, and G from numbers. The possibilities are endless!
- b=q
- d=p
- 0=O/D
- 1=I
- 2=Z
- 3=E
- 4=h/A
- 5=S
- 6=g/q
- 7=L
- 8=B
- 9=G/b
- You can also use the number 2 instead of the word "to" or "too."

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Turning Your Calculator Upside Down

1
Use specific numbers to represent different letters. Each number looks like a different letter when you turn it upside down. You can use those letters to write lots of words. Here is a list of letters you can use:^{[3]
X
Research source}
- 0=O/D
- 1=I
- 2=Z
- 3=E
- 4=h/A
- 5=S
- 6=g/q
- 7=L/t
- 8=B
- 9=G/b
2
Write a word on a piece of paper. To see if you will be able to spell the word, check your list to see if all of the letters match up with a number. If a letter you want to use isn't on the list, you won't be able to spell the word.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- "HELLO" is a classic word to spell on a calculator. Notice that all of the letters are on the list.
- Some other words that you can spell on a calculator are IGLOOS, GIGGLE, SHOES, and EGG. Look at the list of letters and see what words you can spell with them.
3
Write down the number that matches up with each letter. Write the number that matches it on the list underneath each letter. These are the numbers you will use to spell your word. Each letter should have one number.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- To spell "HELLO," the matching numbers are 43770.
4
Type the numbers you wrote down backward into your calculator. Start with the last letter of the word. When you turn your calculator upside down, the order of the letters will be backward—that is, in the right order to spell your word!^{[6]
X
Research source}
- For example, to spell "HELLO," you will reverse the numbers so that they read 0.7734.
- If the word ends with an "o," start with 0 then add a decimal (.) so that when you press "enter" or "=" the 0 will still be there.
5
Press enter and turn your calculator upside down. Some calculators have an "enter" button and some calculators only have an = button. Press whichever one your calculator has. Flip your calculator around so that the top of your calculator is closest to you. Your word will appear!^{[7]
X
Research source}
6
Try spelling some examples. To take the guess work out of whether or not you can spell a certain word, look for a list of words that have already been figured out. Here are a few examples^{[8]
X
Research source}:
- 376006 spells GOOGLE
- 707 spells LOL
- 0.08 spells BOO
- 53177187714 spells HILLBILLIES
- 500761 spells IGLOOS
- 38 spells BE, 338 spells BEE
- 55378 spells BLESS
- 0.208 spells BOZO
- 663 spells EGG
- 336 spells GEE
- 376616 spells GIGGLE
- 378806 spells GOBBLE
- 637 spells LEG
- 607 spells LOG
- 53507 spells LOSES
- 3080 spells OBOE
- 53045 spells SHOES
- 8075 spells SLOB
- 8008 spells BOOB

Community Q&A

Question

How do I spell "hello" on a calculator?

Community Answer

0.7734 spells "hello".
Question

How do you spell ocean?

Community Answer

You can't. There is not a "C," "A," or "N" that can be made using numbers.
Question

How do I spell Laura on a calculator?

Community Answer

You can't spell Laura on a calculator. There are no a, u, or r letters to write on the calculator.