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alphabet

alphabet

noun al-fah-BEH Rare
Communication Writing

Origin: Greek 'alpha' + 'beta' (first two letters of the Greek alphabet)

Usage Note

Alphabet refers to an ordered set of letters used in a writing system; the French alphabet has 26 letters, identical to the English set. The derived adjective alphabétique appears in ordre alphabétique (alphabetical order). The verb alphabétiser means to teach someone to read and write, and l'alphabétisation is the noun for literacy education.

Examples

"Les enfants apprennent l'alphabet à l'école."

Natural Translation

Children learn the alphabet at school.

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