Skip to main content

Welcome to the Words of Type Encyclopedia

Alphabet

Alphabet

Illustration: James Graham .

An alphabet is a writing system based on a set of letters, each representing a different sound. When combined, these elements provide a visual representation of language, forming syllables, words, and sentences. Multiple languages can use one alphabet, with more or less specific variations to better suit each language.

Example: French, English and Italian use the Latin alphabet, also called Latin script.