Welcome! If you are just starting to learn English, the first step is to know the English alphabet. The English alphabet has 26 letters. Let’s learn them together!
The English Alphabet
| Letter | Name (Pronunciation) | Example Word |
| A | /ˈeɪ/ – “ay” | Apple |
| B | /ˈbiː/ – “bee” | Book |
| C | /ˈsiː/ – “see” | Cat |
| D | /ˈdiː/ – “dee” | Dog |
| E | /ˈiː/ – “ee” | Elephant |
| F | /ˈɛf/ – “ef” | Fish |
| G | /ˈdʒiː/ – “jee” | Goat |
| H | /ˈeɪtʃ/ – “aych” | Hat |
| I | /ˈaɪ/ – “eye” | Ice |
| J | /ˈdʒeɪ/ – “jay” | Juice |
| K | /ˈkeɪ/ – “kay” | Kite |
| L | /ˈɛl/ – “el” | Lion |
| M | /ˈɛm/ – “em” | Moon |
| N | /ˈɛn/ – “en” | Nose |
| O | /ˈoʊ/ – “oh” | Orange |
| P | /ˈpiː/ – “pee” | Pen |
| Q | /ˈkjuː/ – “kyoo” | Queen |
| R | /ˈɑːr/ – “ar” | Rabbit |
| S | /ˈɛs/ – “es” | Sun |
| T | /ˈtiː/ – “tee” | Tree |
| U | /ˈjuː/ – “you” | Umbrella |
| V | /ˈviː/ – “vee” | Van |
| W | /ˈdʌbəl.juː/ – “double-u” | Water |
| X | /ˈɛks/ – “eks” | Box |
| Y | /ˈwaɪ/ – “why” | Yellow |
| Z | /ˈziː/ (UK: /ˈzɛd/) – “zee” or “zed” | Zebra |
Pronunciation Tips for Beginners
Some letters sound different from how they are written in words.
For example:
- C can sound like /k/ (as in “cat”) or /s/ (as in “city”).
- G can sound like /g/ (as in “go”) or /dʒ/ (as in “giant”).
The letter “R” in English is pronounced clearly – especially in American English.
Try saying: Red, Right, River
The vowels (A, E, I, O, U) can have short or long sounds.
- Long A = /eɪ/ like in cake
- Short A = /æ/ like in cat
The letter H is silent in some words:
- Honest (we don’t say the “H”)
- Hour (also no “H” sound)