noun
alphabet
AL-fuh-beht
noun
1
The full set of letters used to write a language, usually arranged in a fixed order.
"The English alphabet has 26 letters."
"She taught her daughter the alphabet using flash cards."
How to Use Alphabet
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe full ordered set of letters used to write a language, like A to Z in English.
Common pairings
learn the alphabet
alphabet soup
in alphabetical order
Word Forms
alphabeted past tense, alphabets plural, alphabets singular
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The English _____ has 26 letters.
Etymology
From Latin alphabetum, formed from alpha and beta, the first two letters of the Greek alphabet — themselves borrowed from the Phoenician letter names aleph ("ox") and beth ("house").