IndianTechnoEra: What Is the Alphabet?

What Is the Alphabet?

The alphabet is a group of letters used to write a language. The English alphabet has 26 letters. These letters are used to make words and sentences.

We see letters everywhere. They are used in books, signs, names, labels and many other things we read every day.

Learning Objectives

• Understand what the alphabet is.
• Know that the English alphabet has 26 letters.
• Recognise letters in the alphabet.
• Understand that letters are used to make words.

The English Alphabet

The English alphabet has 26 letters. The letters have a fixed order, beginning with A and ending with Z.

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

These are the 26 letters of the English alphabet.

We learn the letters in this order so that we can recognise and arrange them correctly.

Letters Make Words

Letters can be put together to make words. For example, the letters C, A and T make the word cat.

C + A + T → CAT

Three letters can be joined to make a word.

Many words around us are made from letters. Learning letters is therefore an important first step towards reading and writing.

Examples

• A can be seen in apple.
• B can be seen in ball.
• C can be seen in cat.
• D can be seen in dog.

Common Mistakes

• Do not skip letters when saying the alphabet.
• Remember that the alphabet has 26 letters.
• Learn the letters in their correct order.

Practice

1. What is an alphabet?

2. How many letters are there in the English alphabet?

3. Which letter comes first?

4. Which letter comes last?

Try It Yourself

Say the English alphabet from A to Z. Then choose five letters and say their names aloud.

Quick Revision

• The English alphabet has 26 letters.
• The alphabet begins with A and ends with Z.
• Letters are used to make words.

Next Step

Now that you know what the alphabet is, the next lesson will introduce capital letters.