English alphabet - Revision history

Beza 1598: /* Footnotes */

2016-03-17T06:00:49Z

Footnotes

←Older revision		Revision as of 06:00, 17 March 2016
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	[[Category:English spelling\|Alphabet]]		[[Category:English spelling\|Alphabet]]
	[[Category:Latin alphabets]]		[[Category:Latin alphabets]]
		+
		+	{{Donate}}

Nick at 16:01, 27 December 2012

2012-12-27T16:01:38Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 16:01, 27 December 2012
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	In the year 1011, a writer named [[Byrhtferth\|Byrhtferð]] ordered the Old English alphabet for numerological purposes.<sup>[]</sup> He listed the 24 letters of the Latin alphabet (including [[ampersand]]) first, then 5 additional English letters, starting with the [[Tironian notes\|Tironian note]] ''ond'' (⁊) an insular symbol for ''and'':		In the year 1011, a writer named [[Byrhtferth\|Byrhtferð]] ordered the Old English alphabet for numerological purposes.<sup>[]</sup> He listed the 24 letters of the Latin alphabet (including [[ampersand]]) first, then 5 additional English letters, starting with the [[Tironian notes\|Tironian note]] ''ond'' (⁊) an insular symbol for ''and'':
-	:~~{{Unicode\|~~A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T V X Y Z & ⁊ Ƿ Þ Ð Æ}}	+	:A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T V X Y Z & ⁊ Ƿ Þ Ð Æ

	===Modern English===		===Modern English===
-	In the [[English orthography\|orthography]] of [[Modern English]], [[Thorn (letter)\|thorn]] (þ), [[eth]] (ð), [[wynn]] (ƿ), [[yogh]] (ȝ), [[æ\|ash]] (æ), and [[œ\|ethel]] (œ) are obsolete. [[Latin]] borrowings reintroduced homographs of ash and ethel into [[Middle English]] and [[Early Modern English]], though they are not considered to be the same letters but rather [[typographic ligature\|ligatures]], and in any case are somewhat old-fashioned. Thorn and eth were both replaced by ''[[th]]''~~{{Citation needed\|date=January 2011}}~~ though thorn continued in existence for some time, its lowercase form gradually becoming graphically indistinguishable from the [[minuscule]] [[y]] in most handwriting. ''Y'' for ''th'' can still be seen in pseudo-archaisms such as "Ye Olde Booke Shoppe". The letters þ and ð are still used in present-day [[Icelandic language\|Icelandic]] and [[Faroese language\|Faroese]]. Wynn disappeared from English around the fourteenth century when it was supplanted by ''uu'', which ultimately developed into the modern ''w''. Yogh disappeared around the fifteenth century and was typically replaced by ''gh''.	+	In the [[English orthography\|orthography]] of [[Modern English]], [[Thorn (letter)\|thorn]] (þ), [[eth]] (ð), [[wynn]] (ƿ), [[yogh]] (ȝ), [[æ\|ash]] (æ), and [[œ\|ethel]] (œ) are obsolete. [[Latin]] borrowings reintroduced homographs of ash and ethel into [[Middle English]] and [[Early Modern English]], though they are not considered to be the same letters but rather [[typographic ligature\|ligatures]], and in any case are somewhat old-fashioned. Thorn and eth were both replaced by ''[[th]]'' though thorn continued in existence for some time, its lowercase form gradually becoming graphically indistinguishable from the [[minuscule]] [[y]] in most handwriting. ''Y'' for ''th'' can still be seen in pseudo-archaisms such as "Ye Olde Booke Shoppe". The letters þ and ð are still used in present-day [[Icelandic language\|Icelandic]] and [[Faroese language\|Faroese]]. Wynn disappeared from English around the fourteenth century when it was supplanted by ''uu'', which ultimately developed into the modern ''w''. Yogh disappeared around the fifteenth century and was typically replaced by ''gh''.

	The letters ''[[u]]'' and ''[[j]]'', as distinct from ''[[v]]'' and ''[[i]]'', were introduced in the 16th century, and ''w'' assumed the status of an independent letter, so that the English alphabet is now considered to consist of the following 26 letters:		The letters ''[[u]]'' and ''[[j]]'', as distinct from ''[[v]]'' and ''[[i]]'', were introduced in the 16th century, and ''w'' assumed the status of an independent letter, so that the English alphabet is now considered to consist of the following 26 letters:

Nick at 16:00, 27 December 2012

2012-12-27T16:00:55Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 16:00, 27 December 2012
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	The exact shape of printed letters varies depending on the [[typeface]]. The shape of [[handwriting\|handwritten]] letters can differ significantly from the standard printed form (and between individuals), especially when written in [[cursive]] style. See the individual letter articles for information about letter shapes and origins (follow the links on any of the uppercase letters above).		The exact shape of printed letters varies depending on the [[typeface]]. The shape of [[handwriting\|handwritten]] letters can differ significantly from the standard printed form (and between individuals), especially when written in [[cursive]] style. See the individual letter articles for information about letter shapes and origins (follow the links on any of the uppercase letters above).

-	Written English uses a number of [[Digraph (orthography)\|digraphs]], such as ''ch, sh, th, wh, qu,'' etc., but they are not considered separate letters of the alphabet. Some traditions also use two [[Typographic ligature\|ligatures]], ''[[æ]]'' and ''[[œ]]'',<sup>[]</sup> or consider the [[ampersand]] (&) part of the alphabet.	+	Written English uses a number of [[Digraph (orthography)\|digraphs]], such as ''ch, sh, th, wh, qu,'' etc., but they are not considered separate letters of the alphabet. Some traditions also use two [[Typographic ligature\|ligatures]], ''[[æ]]'' and ''[[œ]]'',<sup>[1]</sup> or consider the [[ampersand]] (&) part of the alphabet.

	==History==		==History==
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	==Ampersand==		==Ampersand==

-	The [[ampersand\|&]] has sometimes appeared at the end of the English alphabet, as in Byrhtferð's list of letters in 1011.<sup>[]</sup> Historically, the figure is a [[Typographic ligature\|ligature]] for the letters ''Et''. In English it is used to represent the word ''and'' and occasionally the Latin word ''et'', as in the abbreviation ''&c'' (et cetera).	+	The [[ampersand\|&]] has sometimes appeared at the end of the English alphabet, as in Byrhtferð's list of letters in 1011.<sup>[2]</sup> Historically, the figure is a [[Typographic ligature\|ligature]] for the letters ''Et''. In English it is used to represent the word ''and'' and occasionally the Latin word ''et'', as in the abbreviation ''&c'' (et cetera).

	==Apostrophe==		==Apostrophe==
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	! Letter !! Letter name !! [[help:IPA for English\|Pronunciation]]		! Letter !! Letter name !! [[help:IPA for English\|Pronunciation]]
	\|-		\|-
-	\| [[A]] \|\| ''a'' \|\| /eɪ/<sup>[]</sup>	+	\| [[A]] \|\| ''a'' \|\| /eɪ/<sup>[3]</sup>
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[B]] \|\| ''bee'' \|\| /biː/		\| [[B]] \|\| ''bee'' \|\| /biː/
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	\| rowspan="2" \| [[H]] \|\| ''aitch'' \|\| /eɪtʃ/		\| rowspan="2" \| [[H]] \|\| ''aitch'' \|\| /eɪtʃ/
	\|-		\|-
-	\| ''haitch''<sup>[]</sup>\|\| /heɪtʃ/	+	\| ''haitch''<sup>[4]</sup>\|\| /heɪtʃ/
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[I]] \|\| ''i'' \|\| /aɪ/		\| [[I]] \|\| ''i'' \|\| /aɪ/
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	\| rowspan="2" \| [[J]] \|\| ''jay'' \|\| /dʒeɪ/		\| rowspan="2" \| [[J]] \|\| ''jay'' \|\| /dʒeɪ/
	\|-		\|-
-	\| ''jy''<sup>[]</sup> \|\| /dʒaɪ/	+	\| ''jy''<sup>[5]</sup> \|\| /dʒaɪ/
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[K]] \|\| ''kay'' \|\| /keɪ/		\| [[K]] \|\| ''kay'' \|\| /keɪ/
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	\| [[Q]] \|\| ''cue'' \|\| /kjuː/		\| [[Q]] \|\| ''cue'' \|\| /kjuː/
	\|-		\|-
-	\| [[R]] \|\| ''ar'' \|\| /ɑr/<sup>[]</sup>	+	\| [[R]] \|\| ''ar'' \|\| /ɑr/<sup>[6]</sup>
	\|-		\|-
-	\| [[S]] \|\| ''ess'' (''es-'')<sup>[]</sup> \|\| /ɛs/	+	\| [[S]] \|\| ''ess'' (''es-'')<sup>[7]</sup> \|\| /ɛs/
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[T]] \|\| ''tee'' \|\| /tiː/		\| [[T]] \|\| ''tee'' \|\| /tiː/
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	\| [[V]] \|\| ''vee'' \|\| /viː/		\| [[V]] \|\| ''vee'' \|\| /viː/
	\|-		\|-
-	\| [[W]] \|\| ''double-u'' \|\| /ˈdʌbəljuː/ in careful speech<sup>[]</sup>	+	\| [[W]] \|\| ''double-u'' \|\| /ˈdʌbəljuː/ in careful speech<sup>[8]</sup>
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[X]] \|\| ''ex'' \|\| /ɛks/		\| [[X]] \|\| ''ex'' \|\| /ɛks/
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	\| [[Y]] \|\| ''wy'' or ''wye'' \|\| /waɪ/		\| [[Y]] \|\| ''wy'' or ''wye'' \|\| /waɪ/
	\|-		\|-
-	\| rowspan="3" \| [[Z]] \|\| ''zed''<sup>[]</sup> \|\| /zɛd/	+	\| rowspan="3" \| [[Z]] \|\| ''zed''<sup>[9]</sup> \|\| /zɛd/
	\|-		\|-
-	\| ''zee''<sup>[]</sup> \|\| /ziː/	+	\| ''zee''<sup>[10]</sup> \|\| /ziː/
	\|-		\|-
-	\| ''izzard''<sup>[]</sup> \|\| /ˈɪzərd/	+	\| ''izzard''<sup>[11]</sup> \|\| /ˈɪzərd/
	\|}		\|}
	The names of the letters are for the most part direct descendents of the Latin (and Etruscan) names. (See [[Latin alphabet#Origins\|Latin alphabet: Origins]].) The novel forms are ''aitch'', a regular development of Medieval Latin ''acca''; ''jay'', a new letter presumably vocalized like neighboring ''kay'' to avoid confusion with established ''gee'' (the other name, ''jy'', was taken from French); ''vee'', a new letter named by analogy with the majority; ''double-u'', a new letter, self-explanatory (the name of Latin V was ''ū''); ''wye'', of obscure origin but with an antecedent in Old French ''wi''; ''zee'', an American leveling of ''zed'' by analogy with the majority; and ''izzard'', from the Romance phrase ''i zed'' or ''i zeto'' "and Z" said when reciting the alphabet.		The names of the letters are for the most part direct descendents of the Latin (and Etruscan) names. (See [[Latin alphabet#Origins\|Latin alphabet: Origins]].) The novel forms are ''aitch'', a regular development of Medieval Latin ''acca''; ''jay'', a new letter presumably vocalized like neighboring ''kay'' to avoid confusion with established ''gee'' (the other name, ''jy'', was taken from French); ''vee'', a new letter named by analogy with the majority; ''double-u'', a new letter, self-explanatory (the name of Latin V was ''ū''); ''wye'', of obscure origin but with an antecedent in Old French ''wi''; ''zee'', an American leveling of ''zed'' by analogy with the majority; and ''izzard'', from the Romance phrase ''i zed'' or ''i zeto'' "and Z" said when reciting the alphabet.
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	The letter most frequently used in English is E. The least frequently used letter is Z.		The letter most frequently used in English is E. The least frequently used letter is Z.

-	The list below shows the frequency of letter use in English.<sup>[]</sup>	+	The list below shows the frequency of letter use in English.<sup>[12]</sup>
	{\| class = "wikitable sortable"		{\| class = "wikitable sortable"
	! Letter !! Frequency		! Letter !! Frequency

Nick: /* Footnotes */

2012-12-27T15:59:03Z

Footnotes

←Older revision		Revision as of 15:59, 27 December 2012
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	==Footnotes==		==Footnotes==
		+
		+	* 1. See also the section on Ligatures
		+	* 2. Michael Everson, Evertype, Baldur Sigurðsson, Íslensk Málstöð, On the Status of the Latin Letter Þorn and of its Sorting Order
		+	* 3. Sometimes /æ/ in Hiberno-English
		+	* 4. sometimes in Australian and Irish English, and usually in Indian English (although often considered incorrect)
		+	* 5. in Scottish English
		+	* 6. /ɔr/ (/ɔər/?) in Hiberno-English[citation needed]
		+	* 7. in compounds such as es-hook
		+	* 8. Especially in American English, the el is not often pronounced in informal speech. (Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed). Common colloquial pronunciations are /ˈdʌbəjuː/, /ˈdʌbəjə/, and /ˈdʌbjə/, as in the nickname "Dubya", especially in terms like www.
		+	* 9. in British and Commonwealth English
		+	* 10. in American English
		+	* 11. in Scottish English
		+	* 12. Beker, Henry; Piper, Fred (1982). Cipher Systems: The Protection of Communications. Wiley-Interscience. p. 397. Table also available from Lewand, Robert (2000). Cryptological Mathematics. The Mathematical Association of America. p. 36. ISBN 978-0883857199. and [1]

	{{DEFAULTSORT:English Alphabet}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:English Alphabet}}
	[[Category:English spelling\|Alphabet]]		[[Category:English spelling\|Alphabet]]
	[[Category:Latin alphabets]]		[[Category:Latin alphabets]]

Nick: New page: The modern '''English alphabet''' is a Latin alphabet consisting of 26 letters – the same letters that are found in the ISO basic Latin alphabet: {|class...

2012-12-27T15:53:30Z

New page: The modern '''English alphabet''' is a Latin alphabet consisting of 26 letters – the same letters that are found in the ISO basic Latin alphabet: <center> {|class...

New page

The modern '''English alphabet''' is a [[Latin alphabets|Latin alphabet]] consisting of 26 letters – the same letters that are found in the [[ISO basic Latin alphabet]]:
<center>
{|class="wikitable" style="border-collapse:collapse;"
|-
|bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" colspan="26" | '''[[Capital letters|Majuscule forms]]''' (also called '''uppercase''' or '''capital letters''')
|-
|width=3% align="center"|[[A]]||width=3% align="center"|[[B]]||width=3% align="center"|[[C]]||width=3% align="center"|[[D]]||width=3% align="center"|[[E]]||width=3% align="center"|[[F]]||width=3% align="center"|[[G]]||width=3% align="center"|[[H]]||width=3% align="center"|[[I]]||width=3% align="center"|[[J]]||width=3% align="center"|[[K]]||width=3% align="center"|[[L]]||width=3% align="center"|[[M]]||width=3% align="center"|[[N]]||width=3% align="center"|[[O]]||width=3% align="center"|[[P]]||width=3% align="center"|[[Q]]||width=3% align="center"|[[R]]||width=3% align="center"|[[S]]||width=3% align="center"|[[T]]||width=3% align="center"|[[U]]||width=3% align="center"|[[V]]||width=3% align="center"|[[W]]||width=3% align="center"|[[X]]||width=3% align="center"|[[Y]]||width=3% align="center"|[[Z]]
|-
|bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" colspan="26" | '''[[Lower case|Minuscule forms]]''' (also called '''lowercase''' or '''small letters''')
|-
|align="center"|a||align="center"|b||align="center"|c||align="center"|d||align="center"|e||align="center"|f||align="center"|g||align="center"|h||align="center"|i||align="center"|j||align="center"|k||align="center"|l||align="center"|m||align="center"|n||align="center"|o||align="center"|p||align="center"|q||align="center"|r||align="center"|s||align="center"|t||align="center"|u||align="center"|v||align="center"|w||align="center"|x||align="center"|y||align="center"|z
|}
</center>
The exact shape of printed letters varies depending on the [[typeface]]. The shape of [[handwriting|handwritten]] letters can differ significantly from the standard printed form (and between individuals), especially when written in [[cursive]] style. See the individual letter articles for information about letter shapes and origins (follow the links on any of the uppercase letters above).

Written English uses a number of [[Digraph (orthography)|digraphs]], such as ''ch, sh, th, wh, qu,'' etc., but they are not considered separate letters of the alphabet. Some traditions also use two [[Typographic ligature|ligatures]], ''[[æ]]'' and ''[[œ]]'',[] or consider the [[ampersand]] (&) part of the alphabet.

==History==
''See Also [[History of the Latin alphabet]] [[English orthography]]''

===Old English===
''See Also [[Old English Latin alphabet]]''
The [[English language]] was first written in the [[Anglo-Saxon futhorc]] runic alphabet, in use from the 5th century. This alphabet was brought to what is now England, along with the proto-form of the language itself, by [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] settlers. Very few examples of this form of written Old English have survived, these being mostly short inscriptions or fragments.

The [[Latin script]], introduced by Christian missionaries, began to replace the Anglo-Saxon futhorc from about the 7th century, although the two continued in parallel for some time. Futhorc influenced the emerging English alphabet by providing it with the letters ''[[thorn (letter)|thorn]]'' (Þ þ) and ''[[wynn]]'' (Ƿ ƿ). The letter ''[[eth]]'' (Ð ð) was later devised as a modification of ''[[dee]]'' (D d), and finally ''[[yogh]]'' (Ȝ ȝ) was created by Norman scribes from the [[insular G|insular ''g'']] in Old English and [[Irish language|Irish]], and used alongside their [[Carolingian g|Carolingian ''g'']].

The a-e [[Typographic ligature|ligature]] ''[[æ|ash]]'' (Æ æ) was adopted as a letter its own right, named after a futhorc rune ''[[Ansuz (rune)|æsc]]''. In very early Old English the o-e ligature ''[[œ|ethel]]'' (Œ œ) also appeared as a distinct letter, likewise named after a rune, ''[[odal (rune)|œðel]]''. Additionally, the v-v or u-u ligature ''[[double-u]]'' (W w) was in use.

In the year 1011, a writer named [[Byrhtferth|Byrhtferð]] ordered the Old English alphabet for numerological purposes.[] He listed the 24 letters of the Latin alphabet (including [[ampersand]]) first, then 5 additional English letters, starting with the [[Tironian notes|Tironian note]] ''ond'' (⁊) an insular symbol for ''and'':
:{{Unicode|A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T V X Y Z & ⁊ Ƿ Þ Ð Æ}}

===Modern English===
In the [[English orthography|orthography]] of [[Modern English]], [[Thorn (letter)|thorn]] (þ), [[eth]] (ð), [[wynn]] (ƿ), [[yogh]] (ȝ), [[æ|ash]] (æ), and [[œ|ethel]] (œ) are obsolete. [[Latin]] borrowings reintroduced homographs of ash and ethel into [[Middle English]] and [[Early Modern English]], though they are not considered to be the same letters but rather [[typographic ligature|ligatures]], and in any case are somewhat old-fashioned. Thorn and eth were both replaced by ''[[th]]''{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} though thorn continued in existence for some time, its lowercase form gradually becoming graphically indistinguishable from the [[minuscule]] [[y]] in most handwriting. ''Y'' for ''th'' can still be seen in pseudo-archaisms such as "Ye Olde Booke Shoppe". The letters þ and ð are still used in present-day [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] and [[Faroese language|Faroese]]. Wynn disappeared from English around the fourteenth century when it was supplanted by ''uu'', which ultimately developed into the modern ''w''. Yogh disappeared around the fifteenth century and was typically replaced by ''gh''.

The letters ''[[u]]'' and ''[[j]]'', as distinct from ''[[v]]'' and ''[[i]]'', were introduced in the 16th century, and ''w'' assumed the status of an independent letter, so that the English alphabet is now considered to consist of the following 26 letters:

:A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

The variant lowercase form [[long s]] (ſ) lasted into [[Early Modern English|early modern English]], and was used in non-final position up to the early 19th century.

The ligatures ''[[æ]]'' and ''[[œ]]'' are still used in formal writing for certain words of Greek or Latin origin, such as ''[[encyclopedia|encyclopædia]]'' and ''[[body cavity|cœlom]]''. Lack of awareness and technological limitations (such as their absence from the standard [[qwerty]] keyboard) have made it common to see these rendered as "ae" and "oe", respectively, in modern, non-academic usage. These ligatures are not used in American English, where a lone ''e'' has mostly supplanted both (for example, ''encyclopedia'' for ''encyclopædia'', and ''fetus'' for ''fœtus'').

==Diacritics==
''See Also [[English terms with diacritical marks]]''

[[Diacritic]] marks mainly appear in loanwords such as ''naïve'' and ''façade''. As such words become naturalised there is a tendency to drop the diacritics, as is now often the case with the two mentioned; however, automatic spell-checkers, as in [[Microsoft]] Office, often automatically add the diacritics back in, which has slowed their disappearance in recent years.{{citation needed|date=June 2011}} Words that are still perceived as foreign tend to retain them; for example, the only spelling of ''soupçon'' found in English dictionaries (the [[Oxford English Dictionary|OED]] and others) uses the diacritic. Diacritics are also more likely to be retained where there would otherwise be confusion with another word (for example, ''résumé'' rather than ''resume''), and, rarely, even added (as in ''maté'', from Spanish ''[[yerba mate]]'', but following the pattern of ''café'', from French).

Occasionally, especially in older writing, diacritics are used to indicate the [[syllable]]s of a word: ''cursed'' (verb) is pronounced with one syllable, while ''cursèd'' ([[adjective]]) is pronounced with two. ''È'' is used widely in poetry, e.g. in Shakespeare's sonnets. Similarly, while in ''chicken coop'' the letters ''-oo-'' represent a single vowel sound (a [[Digraph (orthography)|digraph]]), in ''zoölogist'' and ''coöperation'', they represent two. An acute, grave or diaeresis may also be placed over an 'e' at the end of a word to indicate that it is not silent, and to show how it should be pronounced instead. These devices, are, however, optional, and are in practice not used even where they would serve to alleviate some degree of confusion.

==Ampersand==

The [[ampersand|&]] has sometimes appeared at the end of the English alphabet, as in Byrhtferð's list of letters in 1011.[] Historically, the figure is a [[Typographic ligature|ligature]] for the letters ''Et''. In English it is used to represent the word ''and'' and occasionally the Latin word ''et'', as in the abbreviation ''&c'' (et cetera).

==Apostrophe==
The [[apostrophe]], while not considered part of the English alphabet, is used to abbreviate English words. A few pairs of words, such as ''its'' (belonging to ''it'') and ''it's'' (''it is'' or ''it has''), ''were'' (plural of ''was'') and ''we're'' (we are), and ''shed'' (to get rid of) and ''she'd'' (''she would'' or ''she had'') are distinguished in writing only by the presence or absence of an apostrophe. The apostrophe also distinguishes the [[possessive]] endings ''-'s'' and ''-s' '' from the common [[plural]] ending ''-s'', a practice introduced in the 18th century; before, all three endings were written ''-s'', which could lead to confusion (as in, ''the Apostles words'').

==Letter names==
The names of the letters are rarely spelled out, except when used in derivations or compound words (for example ''tee-shirt, deejay, emcee, okay, aitchless, wye-level'', etc.), derived forms (for example ''exed out, effing, to eff and blind'', etc.), and in the names of objects named after letters (for example ''em (space)'' in printing and ''wye (junction)'' in railroading). The forms listed below are from the [[Oxford English Dictionary]]. Vowels stand for themselves, and consonants usually have the form ''consonant + ee'' or ''e + consonant'' (e.g. ''bee'' and ''ef''). The exceptions are the letters ''aitch, jay, kay, cue, ar, ess'' (but ''es-'' in compounds ), ''wye'', and ''zed''. Plurals of consonants end in ''-s'' (''bees, efs, ems'') or, in the cases of ''aitch, ess'', and ''ex'', in ''-es'' (''aitches, esses, exes''). Plurals of vowels end in ''-es'' (''aes, ees, ies, oes, ues''); these are rare. Of course, all letters may stand for themselves, generally in capitalized form (''okay'' or ''OK'', ''emcee'' or ''MC''), and plurals may be based on these (''aes'' or ''A's'', ''cees'' or ''C's'', etc.'')

{| class="wikitable"
! Letter !! Letter name !! [[help:IPA for English|Pronunciation]]
|-
| [[A]] || ''a'' || /eɪ/[]
|-
| [[B]] || ''bee'' || /biː/
|-
| [[C]] || ''cee'' || /siː/
|-
| [[D]] || ''dee'' || /diː/
|-
| [[E]] || ''e'' || /iː/
|-
| [[F]] || ''ef'' (''eff'' as a verb) || /ɛf/
|-
| [[G]] || ''gee'' || /dʒiː/
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[H]] || ''aitch'' || /eɪtʃ/
|-
| ''haitch''[]|| /heɪtʃ/
|-
| [[I]] || ''i'' || /aɪ/
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[J]] || ''jay'' || /dʒeɪ/
|-
| ''jy''[] || /dʒaɪ/
|-
| [[K]] || ''kay'' || /keɪ/
|-
| [[L]] || ''el'' or ''ell'' || /ɛl/
|-
| [[M]] || ''em'' || /ɛm/
|-
| [[N]] || ''en'' || /ɛn/
|-
| [[O]] || ''o'' || IPA|/oʊ/
|-
| [[P]] || ''pee'' || /piː/
|-
| [[Q]] || ''cue'' || /kjuː/
|-
| [[R]] || ''ar'' || /ɑr/[]
|-
| [[S]] || ''ess'' (''es-'')[] || /ɛs/
|-
| [[T]] || ''tee'' || /tiː/
|-
| [[U]] || ''u'' || /juː/
|-
| [[V]] || ''vee'' || /viː/
|-
| [[W]] || ''double-u'' || /ˈdʌbəljuː/ in careful speech[]
|-
| [[X]] || ''ex'' || /ɛks/
|-
| [[Y]] || ''wy'' or ''wye'' || /waɪ/
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Z]] || ''zed''[] || /zɛd/
|-
| ''zee''[] || /ziː/
|-
| ''izzard''[] || /ˈɪzərd/
|}
The names of the letters are for the most part direct descendents of the Latin (and Etruscan) names. (See [[Latin alphabet#Origins|Latin alphabet: Origins]].) The novel forms are ''aitch'', a regular development of Medieval Latin ''acca''; ''jay'', a new letter presumably vocalized like neighboring ''kay'' to avoid confusion with established ''gee'' (the other name, ''jy'', was taken from French); ''vee'', a new letter named by analogy with the majority; ''double-u'', a new letter, self-explanatory (the name of Latin V was ''ū''); ''wye'', of obscure origin but with an antecedent in Old French ''wi''; ''zee'', an American leveling of ''zed'' by analogy with the majority; and ''izzard'', from the Romance phrase ''i zed'' or ''i zeto'' "and Z" said when reciting the alphabet.

Some groups of letters, such as ''pee'' and ''bee'', or ''em'' and ''en'', are easily confused in speech, especially when heard over the telephone or a radio communications link. [[Spelling alphabet]]s such as the [[ICAO spelling alphabet]], used by [[aircraft]] pilots, police and others, are designed to eliminate this potential confusion by giving each letter a name that sounds quite different from any other.

==Phonology==
''See Also [[English phonology]]
The letters A, E, I, O, and U are considered vowel letters, since (except when silent) they represent [[vowel]]s; the remaining letters are considered consonant letters, since when not silent they generally represent [[consonant]]s. However, Y commonly represents vowels as well as a consonant (e.g., "myth"), as very rarely does W (e.g., "cwm"). Conversely, U sometimes represents a consonant (e.g., "quiz").

==Letter frequencies==
''See Also [[Letter frequency]]''
The letter most frequently used in English is E. The least frequently used letter is Z.

The list below shows the frequency of letter use in English.[]
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
! Letter !! Frequency
|-
|A || align=right | 8.17%
|-
|B || align=right | 1.49%
|-
|C || align=right | 2.78%
|-
|D || align=right | 4.25%
|-
|E || align=right | 12.70%
|-
|F || align=right | 2.23%
|-
|G || align=right | 2.02%
|-
|H || align=right | 6.09%
|-
|I || align=right | 6.97%
|-
|J || align=right | 0.15%
|-
|K || align=right | 0.77%
|-
|L || align=right | 4.03%
|-
|M || align=right | 2.41%
|-
|N || align=right | 6.75%
|-
|O || align=right | 7.51%
|-
|P || align=right | 1.93%
|-
|Q || align=right | 0.10%
|-
|R || align=right | 5.99%
|-
|S || align=right | 6.33%
|-
|T || align=right | 9.06%
|-
|U || align=right | 2.76%
|-
|V || align=right | 0.98%
|-
|W || align=right | 2.36%
|-
|X || align=right | 0.15%
|-
|Y || align=right | 1.97%
|-
|Z || align=right | 0.07%
|}

==See also==
* [[English orthography]]
* [[English spelling reform]]
* [[American manual alphabet]]
* [[Two-handed manual alphabets]]
* [[English braille]]
* [[American braille]]
* [[New York Point]]

==Footnotes==

{{DEFAULTSORT:English Alphabet}}
[[Category:English spelling|Alphabet]]
[[Category:Latin alphabets]]