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You are here: Home / Education / English Grammar / The English Alphabet – Vowels and Consonants

The English Alphabet – Vowels and Consonants

posted on October 6, 2025

The English alphabet consists of 26 letters that form the foundation of all words and sentences in English. Understanding these letters is the first step to mastering English grammar.

The 26 Letters

Capital Letters (Uppercase)

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

We use capital letters for:

  • The beginning of sentences
  • Names of people and places (proper nouns)
  • The word “I”
  • Days and months

Lowercase Letters (Small Letters)

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

Most words use lowercase letters. Learn more about when to capitalize in our capitalization guide.

Vowels – The 5 Special Letters

A E I O U

Vowels are essential because every English word must contain at least one vowel. These letters create the core sounds in words.

Examples of words with vowels:

  • Apple – starts with vowel A
  • Egg – starts with vowel E
  • Ice – starts with vowel I
  • Orange – starts with vowel O
  • Umbrella – starts with vowel U
  • Book – contains vowels O and O

Note: Sometimes the letter Y acts like a vowel (my, by, sky, happy).

Consonants – The Other 21 Letters

B C D F G H J K L M N P Q R S T V W X Y Z

All letters that are not vowels are consonants. Consonants combine with vowels to create words.

Examples:

  • Cat – starts with consonant C
  • Dog – starts with consonant D
  • Table – has consonants T, B, and L

Why This Matters

Understanding vowels and consonants helps you:

  • Use articles correctly (a vs. an)
  • Form plural nouns correctly
  • Create adverbs from adjectives
  • Understand spelling patterns

Practice Exercise

Circle the vowels in these words:

  1. table
  2. computer
  3. beautiful
  4. education

Key Takeaways

  • English has 26 letters total
  • 5 vowels: A, E, I, O, U
  • 21 consonants: all other letters
  • Every word needs at least one vowel
  • Capital letters start sentences and proper nouns

Next: Now that you know the alphabet, learn about words and how letters combine to create meaning.

Related Lessons:

  • When to Use Capital Letters
  • Articles: A vs. An
  • Nouns – Naming Words

Filed Under: English Grammar

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