Alphabet and Sounds

Introduction

Alphabet and Sounds form the foundation of the English language. For competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, RRB, Banking (IBPS, SBI), CAT, CDS, NDA, State PSCs, and other government or entrance exams, a strong understanding of alphabets, sounds, pronunciation rules, phonetics, and stress patterns is essential. Many questions in English Language, Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Detection, and Vocabulary are directly or indirectly based on sound knowledge of alphabets and sounds.

This chapter provides complete, exam-oriented, easy-to-understand, and well-structured notes on Alphabet and Sounds, suitable for beginners as well as advanced learners.

1. The English Alphabet

1.1 What is an Alphabet?

An alphabet is a standardized set of letters used to represent the basic sounds of a language in written form. The English alphabet is derived from the Latin alphabet and consists of 26 letters.

1.2 The 26 Letters of the English Alphabet

The English alphabet has 26 letters, divided into:

Vowels – 5 letters
Consonants – 21 letters

Capital Letters (Upper Case)	Small Letters (Lower Case)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M	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	n o p q r s t u v w x y z

1.3 Importance of Alphabet in Competitive Exams

Understanding alphabets helps in:

Alphabet series questions (SSC, RRB)
Coding–Decoding problems
Spelling-based error detection
Pronunciation and phonetic questions
Vocabulary development

2. Letters vs Sounds

2.1 Difference Between Letters and Sounds

This is one of the most important concepts for learners.

Letters are written symbols (A–Z)
Sounds are spoken units (phonemes)

👉 English has 26 letters but about 44 sounds (phonemes).

Example:

The word cat has 3 letters (c-a-t)
But it has 3 sounds /k/ /æ/ /t/

Example of mismatch:

Ship → 4 letters, 3 sounds (/ʃ/ /ɪ/ /p/)

This mismatch is the main reason English spelling and pronunciation seem difficult.

3. Vowels

3.1 What are Vowels?

Vowels are speech sounds produced without blocking the airflow from the mouth. In English, vowels are essential because every word contains at least one vowel sound.

3.2 Vowel Letters

The five vowel letters are:

Sometimes Y also acts as a vowel.

Examples:

Happy → Y acts as a vowel
Gym → Y sounds like /ɪ/

3.3 Vowel Sounds

Although there are only 5 vowel letters, English has around 20 vowel sounds.

Vowel sounds are divided into:

Short Vowels
Long Vowels
Diphthongs
Triphthongs (less common in exams)

4. Short Vowel Sounds

Short vowels are quick and relaxed sounds.

Sound	Example Words
/ɪ/	sit, pin, ship
/e/	pen, bed, head
/æ/	cat, map, bag
/ʌ/	cup, luck, bus
/ɒ/	hot, pot, cot

Exam Tip:

Short vowel confusion is common in spelling error and pronunciation-based questions.

5. Long Vowel Sounds

Long vowels sound like the name of the letter itself.

Sound	Example Words
/iː/	see, tree, seat
/ɑː/	car, father, calm
/ɔː/	law, talk, caught
/uː/	blue, food, school
/ɜː/	bird, work, learn

Important Note:

Long vowels often appear with:

Silent ‘e’ (make, cake)
Double vowels (see, food)

6. Diphthongs

6.1 What is a Diphthong?

A diphthong is a vowel sound that glides from one sound to another within the same syllable.

6.2 Common Diphthongs

Sound	Example Words
/aɪ/	time, my, eye
/aʊ/	now, out, house
/eɪ/	say, play, rain
/oʊ/	go, home, road
/ɔɪ/	boy, toy, noise

Exam Relevance:

Diphthongs are frequently tested in phonetic symbol matching questions.

7. Consonants

7.1 What are Consonants?

Consonants are speech sounds produced by partially or completely blocking airflow.

There are 21 consonant letters, but 24 consonant sounds.

7.2 Types of Consonant Sounds

Consonant sounds are classified based on:

Place of articulation
Manner of articulation
Voicing

8. Voiced and Voiceless Sounds

8.1 Voiced Sounds

When vocal cords vibrate.

Examples:

/b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/

8.2 Voiceless Sounds

When vocal cords do not vibrate.

Examples:

/p/, /t/, /k/, /s/, /f/

Trick for Exams:

Touch your throat while speaking the sound.

9. Important Consonant Sounds

9.1 Plosive Sounds

Sound	Example
/p/	pen
/b/	bat
/t/	ten
/d/	dog
/k/	cat
/g/	go

9.2 Fricative Sounds

Sound	Example
/f/	fan
/v/	van
/s/	sun
/z/	zoo
/ʃ/	ship
/ʒ/	measure

9.3 Affricate Sounds

Sound	Example
/tʃ/	chair
/dʒ/	judge

10. Silent Letters

Silent letters are not pronounced, but they appear in spelling.

Letter	Words
K	knife, know
B	debt, doubt
L	calm, half
T	listen, castle

Exam Importance:

Silent letters affect pronunciation and spelling error questions.

11. Word Stress

11.1 What is Word Stress?

Word stress is the emphasis placed on a particular syllable.

Examples:

PREsent (noun)
preSENT (verb)

11.2 Stress Rules (Basic)

Two-syllable nouns → stress on first syllable
Two-syllable verbs → stress on second syllable

12. Sentence Stress and Intonation

Content words are stressed
Function words are unstressed

Intonation types:

Rising (questions)
Falling (statements)

13. Common Pronunciation Mistakes (Indian Learners)

Very → /ˈveri/ not /ˈbheri/
School → /skuːl/ not /iskuːl/
World → /wɜːld/

14. Importance for Competitive Exams

Exams where this topic is directly useful:

SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS
RRB NTPC, Group D
Banking PO, Clerk
CAT, XAT (Verbal Ability)
UPSC CSAT

Question Types:

Choose the correctly pronounced word
Find the odd sound
Stress pattern questions
Error detection

15. Preparation Strategy

Learn IPA symbols gradually
Practice with word lists
Read aloud daily
Listen to standard English (BBC, AIR)

Conclusion

Alphabet and Sounds are the building blocks of English. Mastery of this topic improves pronunciation, spelling, listening skills, reading comprehension, and overall confidence in exams. For competitive exam aspirants, this chapter acts as a strong foundation for advanced English topics.

Consistent practice and correct understanding of sounds can significantly improve your accuracy and speed in English sections.

Prepared By Bachchantop.com – Empowering learners with clear concepts and exam-focused content.