What does "alphabet" mean?
The set of letters used when writing in a language.
Alphabet
/ˈæl.fəˌbɛt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The set of letters used when writing in a language.
- Grammar: alphabet is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abc, abc's, abcs, absey.
- Useful contrasts: devanagari script, hieroglyphic, no order.
- Usage evidence: When the school had no books or paper or pencils, she wrote the alphabet on the ground with a stick.
How to use "alphabet"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "alphabet" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "alphabet" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "alphabet" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "alphabet" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "alphabet" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abc" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "alphabet", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The set of letters used when writing in a language.
"The Greek alphabet has only twenty-four letters."
- 2 the elementary stages of any subject (usually plural) wordnet
- 3 A writing system in which letters represent phonemes. (Contrast e.g. logography, a writing system in which each character represents a word, and syllabary, in which each character represents a syllable.)
- 4 a character set that includes letters and is used to write a language wordnet
- 5 A writing system in which letters represent phonemes. (Contrast e.g. logography, a writing system in which each character represents a word, and syllabary, in which each character represents a syllable.); A writing system in which there are letters for the consonant and vowel phonemes. (Contrast e.g. abjad.)
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Letter. dialectal, nonstandard
"The notes are named with the first seven alphabets."
- 7 A typically finite set of distinguishable symbols.
"Let L be a regular language over the alphabet #92;Sigma."
- 8 An individual letter of an alphabet; an alphabetic character. Hong-Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore
"We realize the fact that the alphabet A has been used in many world scripts as a vowel with the others AEIOU."
- 9 The simplest rudiments; elements.
"The very alphabet of our law."
- 10 An agent of the FBI, the CIA, or another such government agency. Internet
Verb
- 1 To designate by the letters of the alphabet; to arrange alphabetically. rare
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"When the school had no books or paper or pencils, she wrote the alphabet on the ground with a stick."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "alphabet"?
Common synonyms include: abc, abc's, abcs, absey, alphabetic order, alphabetic script.
How do you use "alphabet" in a sentence?
When the school had no books or paper or pencils, she wrote the alphabet on the ground with a stick.
How do you pronounce "alphabet"?
Pronounced /ˈæl.fəˌbɛt/.
Etymology
From Middle English alphabete, borrowed from Classical Latin alphabētum, from Ancient Greek ἀλφάβητος (alphábētos), from ἄλφα (álpha) and βῆτα (bêta), the names of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, Α (A) and Β (B), lowercase forms α and β. The Greek names derived from aleph, the name of the Phoenician letter 𐤀 (ʾ, “ox”) and beth, the name of the letter 𐤁 (b, “house”), so called because they were pictograms of those objects, having developed from the Egyptian hieroglyphs F1 (𓃾) and pr (𓉐). Doublet of alfabeto.