Categories
Writing and Publishing

How to Spell the Letters of the Alphabet

Recently  I pondered the correct spelling for W. Not finding an official answer, I went with “double-u.” Upon further contemplation, I realized having similar doubts about the spelling of many letters. Therefore, I advance this list, which I ultimately found in Google’s scan of the book “The Institutes of English Grammar” by Goold Brown. (I’ve parenthetically added my own thoughts and suggestions):

A – a (how about “aye”?)
B – bee
C – cee
D – dee
E – e
F – eff (TheFreeDictionary.com indicates “ef”)
G – gee
H – aitch
I – i (How about “eye”?)
J – jay
K- kay
L – ell (TheFreeDictionary.com specifies “el”)
M – em
N – en
O – o (how about “oh” or “owe”)
P – pee
Q – kue (I prefer “queue” or “cue”)
R – ar (how about “are”?)
S – ess
T – tee
U – u (how about “you” or “ewe”?)
V – vee
W – double-u (slang might be “dub-u” or simply “dub”)
X – ex
Y – wy (how about “why”?)
Z – zee

Although vowels are spelled with only one letter, I prefer an alternate, longer spelling.

Why do I need to know these things? It’s quite simple actually: I may need them for crossword puzzles. I’ve already used Cee, Dee, Ell, Ess, and Tee. I want to be ready in case the others pop up. (For the record, no self-respecting crossword puzzle will have a two-letter answer; perhaps that is why I gravitate towards three-letter spellings.)

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

By Peter Lyle DeHaan

Author Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, publishes books about business, customer service, the call center industry, and business and writing.