The first step to understand the alphabet is to learn it, and quite frankly it is the most important one because it will allow you to comprehend the pronunciation of each letter and how to use them.
That is why we have prepared this post with examples that will help you to understand them and memorize them.
The alphabet
It is known as a structured representation of letters that make up a language.
The English alphabet is composed of 26 letters, in which 5 are vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and the 21 that remain are consonants (b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z).
Just like in Spanish, the alphabet uses “capital letters” also called “uppercase letters” or “small letters” known as “lower case”.
When we combine different letters, we create words that at the same time when they are combined, they create sentences that help us to develop the process of communication.
In English, nothing is written as it sounds and with only 26 letters this Anglo-Saxon language has over 50 different sounds. In this next section we Will show you a list of both the written and pronunciation aspects of the 26 letters that make up the alphabet.
Pronunciation of the English Alphabet
Letter | English Pronunciation |
A | (ei) |
B | (bi) |
C | (ci) |
D | (di) |
E | (i) |
F | (ef) |
G | (yi) |
H | (eich) |
I | (ai) |
J | (yei) |
K | (kei) |
L | (el) |
M | (em) |
N | (en) |
O | (ou) |
P | (pi) |
Q | (kiu) |
R | (ar) |
S | (es) |
T | (ti) |
U | (iu) |
V | (vi) |
W | (dabliu) |
X | (ex) |
Y | (uai) |
Z | (zi) |
Now that you know the pronunciation of each letter in English, we recommend that you practice and memorize them. This is a key aspect of your speaking skill that you Will have to use during a test or maybe even during a conversation.
- Another excellent practice activity that can help you to learn the alphabet is to associate words with different sounds. You first need to understand the sound to have a better grasp of how each word and letter have a different sound.
For example, the letter “a” is pronounced like (ei), in some cases that sound remains the same when it is used to pronounce a word that begins with the same letter, for example, “April”, and its correct pronunciation which sounds like (eipril). Up next, we Will show you some words that you can use to apply this association technique:
Letter | Sound | Word in English | Pronunciation in English |
A | (ei) | April Agent Acre | eipril eiyent eikre |
B | (bi) | Big Because Before | big bicos bifor |
C | (ci) | City Cycle Circle | citi saicol cercol |
D | (di) | Die Dial Discover | Dai Daial diskavar |
E | (i) | Easy Ear Eagle | isi iar igal |
G | (yi) | Giant Gin Gym | yiant yin gim |
- Another form of memorizing the alphabet is to practice it out loud while recording yourself and pronouncing each letter as well as possible. After that, you can compare your pronunciation to that of a native speaker, which Will help you to understand the Word better and to improve your overall pronunciation and vocabulary skills. Google translatecan help you in this matter.
- Practice the alphabet continuously, so you can feel more confident when you pronounce a new word, or engage in a conversation with another person.
- You can also start to spell the name of objects, people, animals, countries, etc. Or if you prefer, you can compete with your family or friends so you can learn and have fun at the same time.
The alphabet is the foundation of any language. That’s why it is vital that you learn it and dominate its pronunciation, so you know how to combine letters to form words. When you start to learn a language with a good foundation, the development of your other skills will be easier to master. Continue to practice and if you have any doubts, do not hesitate to contact our team .