A Latin-script alphabet (Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet) is an alphabet that uses letters of the Latin script. The 21-letter archaic Latin alphabet and the 23-letter classical Latin alphabet belong to the oldest of this group.[1] The 26-letter modern Latin alphabet is the newest of this group.
The 26-letter ISO basic Latin alphabet (adopted from the earlier ASCII) contains the 26 letters of the English alphabet. To handle the many other alphabets also derived from the classical Latin one, ISO and other telecommunications groups "extended" the ISO basic Latin multiple times in the late 20th century. More recent international standards (e.g. Unicode) include those that achieved ISO adoption.
Apart from alphabets for modern spoken languages, there exist phonetic alphabets and spelling alphabets in use derived from Latin script letters. Historical languages may also have used (or are now studied using) alphabets that are derived but still distinct from those of classical Latin and their modern forms (if any).
The Latin script was typically slightly altered to function as an alphabet for each different language (or other use), although the main letters are largely the same. A few general classes of alteration cover many particular cases:
These often were given a place in the alphabet by defining an alphabetical order or collation sequence, which can vary between languages. Some of the results, especially from just adding diacritics, were not considered distinct letters for this purpose; for example, the French é and the German ö are not listed separately in their respective alphabet sequences. With some alphabets, some altered letters are considered distinct while others are not; for instance, in Spanish, ñ (which indicates a unique phoneme) is listed separately, while á, é, í, ó, ú, and ü (which do not; the first five of these indicate a nonstandard stress-accent placement, while the last forces the pronunciation of a normally-silent letter) are not. Digraphs in some languages may be separately included in the collation sequence (e.g. Hungarian CS, Welsh RH). New letters must be separately included unless collation is not practised.
See main article: List of Latin-script alphabets. Coverage of the letters of the ISO basic Latin alphabet can be
and additional letters can be
Most alphabets have the letters of the ISO basic Latin alphabet in the same order as that alphabet.
Some alphabets regard digraphs as distinct letters, e.g. the Spanish alphabet from 1803 to 1994 had CH and LL sorted apart from C and L.
Some alphabets sort letters that have diacritics or are ligatures at the end of the alphabet. Examples are the Scandinavian Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish alphabets.
Icelandic sorts a new letter form and a ligature at the end, as well as one letter with diacritic, while others with diacritics are sorted behind the corresponding non-diacritic letter.
The phonetic values of graphemes can differ between alphabets.
| a | pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/ | eɪ, pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b | pronounced as /ink/ | |||||||
| c | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |||
| d | pronounced as /ink/ | |||||||
| e | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | ||
| f | pronounced as /ink/ | |||||||
| g | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | ||
| h | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | |||||
| i | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /link/ | aɪ, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /ink/ | |||||
| j | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |||
| k | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | ||||
| l | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | ||||||
| m | pronounced as /link/ | |||||||
| n | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | ||||||
| o | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /ink/ | oʊ, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | ||||
| p | pronounced as /ink/ | |||||||
| q | pronounced as /link/ | |||||||
| r | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |||
| s | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |||||
| t | pronounced as /ink/ | |||||||
| u | juː, pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | |||||
| v | pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | ||||
| w | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | ||||
| x | ks | ks, pronounced as /ink/ | ks | ks, pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/ | ks | |||
| y | pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/ | aɪ, pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/, pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | ||||
| z | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/~pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | |||||
| Lowercase Latin alphabet | 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 | z | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical Latin | Written (majus) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written (modern) | ā | bē | cē | dē | ē | ef | gē | hā | ī | kā | el | em | en | ō | pē | qū | er | es | tē | ū | ix | zēta | |||||
| Pronunciation (IPA) | pronounced as /aː/ | pronounced as /beː/ | pronounced as /keː/ | pronounced as /deː/ | pronounced as /eː/ | pronounced as /ɛf/ | pronounced as /ɡeː/ | pronounced as /haː/ | pronounced as /iː/ | pronounced as /kaː/ | pronounced as /ɛl/ | pronounced as /ɛm/ | pronounced as /ɛn/ | pronounced as /oː/ | pronounced as /peː/ | pronounced as /kuː/ | pronounced as /ɛr/ | pronounced as /ɛs/ | pronounced as /teː/ | pronounced as /uː/ | pronounced as /iks/ | pronounced as /iː ˈɡraɪka/ | pronounced as /ˈdzeːta/ | ||||
| English | Written | a | bee | cee | dee | e | ef, eff | ɡee | aitch, haitch | i | jay | kay | el | em | en | o | pee | cue | ar | ess | tee | u | vee | double-u | ex | wye | zed, zee |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | pronounced as //eɪ// | pronounced as //bi// | pronounced as //siː// | pronounced as //diː// | pronounced as //iː// | pronounced as //ɛf// | pronounced as //dʒiː// | pronounced as //eɪtʃ//, pronounced as //heɪtʃ// | pronounced as //aɪ// | pronounced as //dʒeɪ// | pronounced as //keɪ// | pronounced as //el// | pronounced as //em// | pronounced as //en// | pronounced as //oʊ// | pronounced as //piː// | pronounced as //kjuː// | pronounced as //ɑːr// | pronounced as //ɛs// | pronounced as //tiː// | pronounced as //juː// | pronounced as //viː// | pronounced as //ˈdʌbəl.juː// | pronounced as //ɛks// | pronounced as //waɪ// | pronounced as //zɛd//, pronounced as //ziː// | |
| French | Written | a | bé | cé | dé | e | effe | gé | ache | i | ji | ka | elle | emme | enne | o | pé | qu | erre | esse | té | u | vé | double vé | ixe | i grec | zède |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | pronounced as //a// | pronounced as //be// | pronounced as //se// | pronounced as //de// | pronounced as //ə// | pronounced as //ɛf// | pronounced as //ʒe// | pronounced as //aʃ// | pronounced as //i// | pronounced as //ʒi// | pronounced as //ka// | pronounced as //ɛl// | pronounced as //ɛm// | pronounced as //ɛn// | pronounced as //o// | pronounced as //pe// | pronounced as //ky// | pronounced as //ɛʁ// | pronounced as //ɛs// | pronounced as //te// | pronounced as //y// | pronounced as //ve// | pronounced as //dubləve// | pronounced as //iks// | pronounced as //iɡʁɛk// | pronounced as //zed// | |
| Spanish[2] | a | be, be larga, be alta | ce | de | e | efe | ge | hache | i | jota | ka | ele | eme | ene | o | pe | cu | erre | ese | te | u | uve, ve, ve corta, ve baja | uve doble, ve doble, doble ve, doble u | equis | ye, i griega | zeta | |
| Malay (Indonesia) | Written | a | bé | cé | dé | é | éf | gé | ha | i | jé | ka | él | ém | én | o | pé | ki | ér | és | té | u | vé | wé | éks | yé | zét |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | pronounced as //a// | pronounced as //be// | pronounced as //t͡ʃe// | pronounced as //de// | pronounced as //e// | pronounced as //ef// | pronounced as //ge// | pronounced as //ha// | pronounced as //i// | pronounced as //d͡ʒe// | pronounced as //ka// | pronounced as //el// | pronounced as //em// | pronounced as //en// | pronounced as //o// | pronounced as //pe// | pronounced as //ki// | pronounced as //er// | pronounced as //es// | pronounced as //te// | pronounced as //u// | pronounced as //ve//, pronounced as //fe// | pronounced as //we// | pronounced as //eks// | pronounced as //je// | pronounced as //zet// | |
| Malay (Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore) | Written | e | bi | si | di | i | éf | ji | héc | ay | jé | ké | él | ém | én | o | pi | kiu | ar | és | ti | yu | vi | dabel yu | éks | way | zet |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | pronounced as //e// | pronounced as //bi// | pronounced as //si// | pronounced as //di// | pronounced as //i// | pronounced as //ef// | pronounced as //d͡ʒi// | pronounced as //het͡ʃ// | pronounced as //i// | pronounced as //d͡ʒe// | pronounced as //ke// | pronounced as //el// | pronounced as //em// | pronounced as //en// | pronounced as //o// | pronounced as //pe// | pronounced as //qiu//, pronounced as //qju// | pronounced as //ar//, pronounced as //aː// | pronounced as //es// | pronounced as //ti// | pronounced as //ju// | pronounced as //vi// | pronounced as //dabəlˈju// | pronounced as //eks// | pronounced as //wai̯// | pronounced as //zed// | |
| Turkish | Written | a | be | ce | de | e | fe | ge | he, ha | i | je | ke, ka | le | me | ne | o | pe | kû, kü | re | se | te | u | ve | çift ve | iks | ye | ze |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | pronounced as //aː// | pronounced as //beː// | pronounced as //d͡ʒeː// | pronounced as //deː// | pronounced as //eː// | pronounced as //feː// | pronounced as //ɟeː// | pronounced as //heː/, /haː// | pronounced as //iː// | pronounced as //ʒeː// | pronounced as //ceː/, /kaː// | pronounced as //leː// | pronounced as //meː// | pronounced as //neː// | pronounced as //oː// | pronounced as //peː// | pronounced as //cuː/, /cyː// | pronounced as //ɾeː// | pronounced as //seː// | pronounced as //teː// | pronounced as //uː// | pronounced as //veː// | pronounced as //t͡ʃift veː// | pronounced as //ics// | pronounced as //jeː// | pronounced as //zeː// | |
| 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 | z | ||
| pronounced as //a// | pronounced as //b// | pronounced as //c// | pronounced as //d// | pronounced as //e// | pronounced as //f// | pronounced as //g// | pronounced as //h// | pronounced as //i// | pronounced as //j// | pronounced as //k// | pronounced as //l// | pronounced as //m// | pronounced as //n// | pronounced as //o// | pronounced as //p// | pronounced as //q// | pronounced as //r// | pronounced as //s// | pronounced as //t// | pronounced as //u// | pronounced as //v// | pronounced as //w// | pronounced as //x// | pronounced as //y// | pronounced as //z//--> | ||