There are 26 letters in the English alphabet! The alphabet starts with A and ends with Z. Each letter has two forms: uppercase (capital) and lowercase (small). For example, uppercase A and lowercase a. When you know all the letters, you can start putting them together to make words. Learning the alphabet is like learning the building blocks of reading!

The uppercase version of "a" is "A"! Uppercase letters are bigger and often have different shapes. For example: B (uppercase) and b (lowercase), D (uppercase) and d (lowercase). When you write your name, you use an uppercase letter for the first letter and lowercase letters for the rest – like "Emma" or "James". Learning both uppercase and lowercase letters helps you read and write correctly.

The letter after C is D! The alphabet order is: 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. Knowing the order of the alphabet helps you use a dictionary, look up words, and put things in alphabetical order. Can you sing the alphabet song? That is a great way to remember the order!

The letter M is the correct answer! M looks like two mountain peaks. Many words start with M: mother, moon, music, magic, and monkey. When you make the /m/ sound, your lips come together and you hum through your nose. Practice saying "Mmmmm" – that is the sound of M!

The word "sun" starts with S! The letter S makes a hissing sound like a snake: /s/. When you say S, your tongue goes near the roof of your mouth and air comes out. Can you think of other words that start with S? Some are: star, school, smile, sister, and snow. The letter S is one of the most common letters in English.

The letter after T is U! Think of the alphabet song: "... Q, R, S, T, U, V ..." U is a vowel (like A, E, I, O, U). Words that start with U include: umbrella, up, under, and unicorn. Knowing what letter comes next helps you put words in alphabetical order and find words in a dictionary.

The matching lowercase letter for P is p! P and p look similar – both have a circle and a line, but lowercase p hangs below the line. Words that start with P: pig, pizza, puppy, purple, and penguin. The letter P makes the /p/ sound – a popping sound made with your lips. Practice saying "P-p-p-p!"

O is a vowel! The five vowels are A, E, I, O, U. Every word in English has at least one vowel. Vowels are the "glue" that hold words together. Try saying the vowels: A (aaa), E (eh), I (ih), O (ah), U (uh). Without vowels, we could not say words! Consonants are all the other letters: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z.

The last letter of the alphabet is Z! Z makes the /z/ sound like in "zebra", "zipper", and "zoo". The letter Z is not used very often – it is one of the rarest letters in English. Can you think of words that start with Z? Some are: zebra, zoo, zipper, zigzag, and zero. Congratulations – you have learned the whole alphabet from A to Z!

The missing letter is D! The full sequence is A, B, C, D, E, F, G. You are doing a wonderful job learning your alphabet. Knowing all 26 letters – both uppercase and lowercase – will help you read, write, and spell. Keep practicing the alphabet song and pointing to letters in books. You are on your way to becoming a great reader!