rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryalphabetWriting letters
noun

alphabet

AL-fuh-bet/ˈælfəbet/

The ordered set of letters in a writing system.

The wooden tray displays the complete English alphabet in order.

A simple wooden letter tray displaying the complete English alphabet in customary order, with each uppercase letter on its own tile.
Etymology
alphaGreekfirst Greek letter
+betGreeksecond Greek letter

Alpha and beta, the first two Greek letters, together name the entire ordered set. This is the same naming idea as calling a language’s letters its “ABC.”

In context

Genesis Williams6:33
with 26 letters the modern latin alphabet was used to write hundreds of different languages each language uses a slightly different set of letters
Nhd Documentary:The Origin and Development of the Present-day Alphabet

More examples

  • Children sing the alphabet while pointing to the letters.
  • The course introduces the alphabet of musical notation.
  • Different languages may use different alphabets.

Forms

alphabet · alphabets

Similar words

script
Can describe a writing system without implying a fixed letter order.
letters
Names the individual symbols rather than their ordered set.