Pronouncing the Alphabet
The alphabet is the set of 26 letters (from A to Z) that we use to represent English in writing:
It is very important to understand that the letters of the alphabet do NOT always represent the same sounds of English.
This page is about how we pronounce the letters of the alphabet when we "say the alphabet (ABC...)". In our Writing section you can learn more about how we write the letters of the alphabet.
Saying the Alphabet
Below, you can listen to how we say the letters of the alphabet. Remember, this is just for how we say the name of each letter. When we use the letters in words, they often have a different sound.
Transcript: The Alphabet Song for Rockers A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S - T U V - W X Y And it's Zed NOT Zee A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S - T U V - W X Y Zed NOT Zee Now you know your ABC Try again and sing with me one, two, three Here we go... A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S - T U V - W X Y And it's Zed NOT Zee A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S - T U V - W X Y Zed NOT Zee Now you know your ABC Try again and sing with me one, two, three
(in alphabetical order)
The letters above (↑) are in normal "alphabetical order".
But the letters below (↓) are NOT in alphabetical order. They are in "sound order". They are grouped by sound. There are only 7 basic sounds for the whole alphabet. The letters in each column all have the same vowel sound. Listen to the alphabet sounds as we read them by column: