diff --git a/bin/import_cv2.py b/bin/import_cv2.py
index 083d2176..122755a4 100755
--- a/bin/import_cv2.py
+++ b/bin/import_cv2.py
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         label = validate_label(label)
         if ALPHABET and label:
             try:
-                [ALPHABET.label_from_string(c) for c in label]
+                ALPHABET.encode(label)
             except KeyError:
                 label = None
         return label
diff --git a/bin/import_lingua_libre.py b/bin/import_lingua_libre.py
index 5b126406..8706fde6 100644
--- a/bin/import_lingua_libre.py
+++ b/bin/import_lingua_libre.py
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         label = validate_label(label)
         if ALPHABET and label:
             try:
-                [ALPHABET.label_from_string(c) for c in label]
+                ALPHABET.encode(label)
             except KeyError:
                 label = None
         return label
diff --git a/bin/import_m-ailabs.py b/bin/import_m-ailabs.py
index ff59ad0f..7b8ca5b5 100644
--- a/bin/import_m-ailabs.py
+++ b/bin/import_m-ailabs.py
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         label = validate_label(label)
         if ALPHABET and label:
             try:
-                [ALPHABET.label_from_string(c) for c in label]
+                ALPHABET.encode(label)
             except KeyError:
                 label = None
         return label
diff --git a/bin/import_slr57.py b/bin/import_slr57.py
index 8520a1b3..67ea54d0 100644
--- a/bin/import_slr57.py
+++ b/bin/import_slr57.py
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         label = validate_label(label)
         if ALPHABET and label:
             try:
-                [ALPHABET.label_from_string(c) for c in label]
+                ALPHABET.encode(label)
             except KeyError:
                 label = None
         return label
diff --git a/evaluate.py b/evaluate.py
index 4cda4523..e511c8b6 100755
--- a/evaluate.py
+++ b/evaluate.py
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ def sparse_tensor_value_to_texts(value, alphabet):
 def sparse_tuple_to_texts(sp_tuple, alphabet):
     indices = sp_tuple[0]
     values = sp_tuple[1]
-    results = [''] * sp_tuple[2][0]
+    results = [[]] * sp_tuple[2][0]
     for i, index in enumerate(indices):
-        results[index[0]] += alphabet.string_from_label(values[i])
+        results[index[0]].append(values[i])
     # List of strings
-    return results
+    return [alphabet.decode(res) for res in results]
 
 
 def evaluate(test_csvs, create_model, try_loading):
diff --git a/util/text.py b/util/text.py
index 7c1b1ee5..0db0bb25 100644
--- a/util/text.py
+++ b/util/text.py
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ class Alphabet(object):
                 self._str_to_label[line[:-1]] = self._size
                 self._size += 1
 
-    def string_from_label(self, label):
+    def _string_from_label(self, label):
         return self._label_to_str[label]
 
-    def label_from_string(self, string):
+    def _label_from_string(self, string):
         try:
             return self._str_to_label[string]
         except KeyError as e:
@@ -36,10 +36,16 @@ class Alphabet(object):
                 'then add all these to data/alphabet.txt.'.format(string)
             ).with_traceback(e.__traceback__)
 
+    def encode(self, string):
+        res = []
+        for char in string:
+            res.append(self._label_from_string(char))
+        return res
+
     def decode(self, labels):
         res = ''
         for label in labels:
-            res += self.string_from_label(label)
+            res += self._string_from_label(label)
         return res
 
     def size(self):
@@ -55,7 +61,7 @@ def text_to_char_array(series, alphabet):
     integers and return a numpy array representing the processed string.
     """
     try:
-        series['transcript'] = np.asarray([alphabet.label_from_string(c) for c in series['transcript']])
+        series['transcript'] = np.asarray(alphabet.encode(series['transcript']))
     except KeyError as e:
         # Provide the row context (especially wav_filename) for alphabet errors
         raise ValueError(str(e), series)