creds to @Four2TheEight: - bg - sounds how it works: glyph 1 = 1 glyth 2 = 2 a = 3 b = 3 x 2^1 => b=6 c = 3 x 2^2 => c = 12 ... z = 3 x 2^26 => 201326592 combine: ba = 6+3 => ba = 9 dba[glyph 2] = 3 x 2^4+ 3 x 2^3 + 3 x 2^2 + 3 + 2 => dba[glyph 2] = eighty nine