Meaning & use
alphabet letters
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Meanings
nounplural
The individual written symbols that together make up an alphabet, such as A, B, and C.
Grammar: Always plural in this sense; use it when talking about more than one letter. For a single one, say 'a letter of the alphabet' or 'an alphabet letter'.
Patterns
- the alphabet letters
- learn the alphabet letters
- write the alphabet letters
The teacher asked the children to name all the alphabet letters from A to Z.
He practiced writing the alphabet letters until his handwriting improved.
In many schools, kids sing a song to remember the alphabet letters.
nounplural
The set of letters used in a particular writing system, considered as a group.
Grammar: Often used with a modifier like 'English' or 'Greek' to specify which writing system you mean.
Patterns
- the English alphabet letters
- the Greek alphabet letters
- the alphabet letters of a language
The English alphabet letters are based on the Latin script.
She studied the Greek alphabet letters before her trip to Athens.
Some languages use alphabet letters that look completely different from English ones.
Common combinations
- learn the alphabet letters
- Young children learn the alphabet letters before they start reading words.
- write the alphabet letters
- Please write the alphabet letters in capital form on the board.
- say the alphabet letters
- Can you say the alphabet letters in order without making a mistake?
- recognize the alphabet letters
- By age four, many kids can recognize most alphabet letters.
- the English alphabet letters
- The English alphabet letters include both vowels and consonants.
- a set of alphabet letters
- The puzzle comes with a set of alphabet letters made of wood.
Synonyms and how they differ
- letters
- A shorter, more general word; it can refer to any written symbols, not just those in an alphabet.
- characters
- Used for symbols in any writing system, including Chinese characters, which are not alphabet letters.
Word family
- alphabet noun
- The complete set of letters used in a language, arranged in a fixed order.
- alphabetical adjective
- Arranged in the order of the alphabet.
- alphabetize verb
- To put things in alphabetical order.
Commonly confused: alphabet letters or letters?
alphabet letters vs letters
'Letters' can also mean written messages you send by mail, while 'alphabet letters' always refers to the symbols of writing.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'alphabet letters' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option B correctly uses 'alphabet letters' as a plural noun meaning the symbols of an alphabet. Option A confuses 'letters' with written messages. Option C uses 'alphabet letters' as a verb, which is wrong; the verb is 'alphabetize'. Option D is unnatural because 'alphabet letters stamps' is not a standard compound.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “alphabet letters”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.