Chapter 2 — Letters and the Alphabet
Letters are the building blocks of English words. Every word we read and write is made using letters from the English alphabet.
In this chapter, you will learn what the alphabet is, how to recognise capital and small letters, how capital and small letters match, how letters are arranged in alphabetical order, and how to recognise letters inside words. You will also practise writing the alphabet.
Why This Chapter Matters
Knowing the letters of the alphabet is an important foundation for learning English. Letters are used to build words, read sentences and communicate through writing.
Learning letters carefully makes it easier to read and write words correctly.
Understanding capital letters, small letters and alphabetical order will also help you recognise words and use written English correctly.
What You Will Learn
- What the English alphabet is.
- How to recognise the letters of the alphabet.
- How to recognise capital letters.
- How to recognise small letters.
- How capital and small letters match.
- How letters are arranged in alphabetical order.
- How to recognise letters inside words.
- How to write the alphabet.
Before You Begin
Before starting this chapter, you should be comfortable listening to simple English words and noticing the names of familiar things around you.
You do not need to know every letter perfectly before beginning. The lessons in this chapter will help you learn the letters step by step.
Understanding the Learning Sequence
The lessons begin by introducing the alphabet. You will then learn capital and small letters, match them, understand alphabetical order, recognise letters in words and finally practise writing the alphabet.
This sequence helps you first recognise the alphabet and then use letters in reading and writing.
Lessons in This Chapter
Complete the lessons in the order shown below.
Important Ideas
- The English alphabet contains 26 letters.
- Letters are used to make words.
- Letters can be written as capital or small letters.
- Each capital letter has a matching small letter.
- Letters have a fixed order in the alphabet.
- Alphabetical order helps us arrange words and letters.
- Letters can be recognised inside words.
- Regular writing practice helps us write letters clearly.
Chapter Practice
- How many letters are there in the English alphabet?
- What is the first letter of the alphabet?
- What is the last letter of the alphabet?
- Write the capital letter for b.
- Write the small letter for G.
- Which comes first: C or F?
- Which letter comes after D?
- Which letter comes before H?
- Find the letter a in the word apple.
- Write any five letters of the alphabet.
Quick Revision
The English alphabet has 26 letters. Letters can be written as capital letters or small letters, and each capital letter has a matching small letter.
Letters have a fixed order in the alphabet. We can recognise letters inside words and practise writing them to improve our reading and writing skills.
Continue Learning
Start with Lesson 1 — What Is the Alphabet? and complete the lessons in sequence.