The English alphabet is your starting point for reading and writing. It has 26 letters, and each one comes in two forms: uppercase (big) and lowercase (small). You'll see uppercase letters at the beginning of sentences and for names, like 'Maria' or 'London'.

Most of the time, you'll use lowercase letters. Think of uppercase and lowercase as two different outfits for the same letter. A and a are the same letter, just dressed differently.

Every letter in the alphabet is either a vowel or a consonant. This is an important difference because they create sounds in unique ways. Vowels are the core of every word.

The rest of the letters are consonants. You make consonant sounds by partially or completely blocking the airflow from your mouth.

Sometimes, the letter Y can act as a vowel, like in the word 'sky'. For now, just remember the main five: A, E, I, O, U.

Knowing the letters is one thing, but knowing their sounds is the key to reading. Many letters can make more than one sound, but let's start with the most common one for each. Think of it as the letter's main job.

Here’s a guide to the most common sound for each letter.

Let's continue with the next group of letters.

You're getting the hang of it. Here are the next few letters.

And here are the final letters of the alphabet.

Sometimes, two letters team up to make a single, new sound. This is very common in English. You don't pronounce each letter separately. Instead, you blend them into one.

We'll explore more of these combinations later. For now, just remember that letters don't always work alone.

Ready to test your knowledge? Let's see how well you know your letters and their sounds.

Great work. Mastering the alphabet is the first big step in learning English. Keep practicing these letters and their sounds.