a character set that includes letters and is used to write a language
"The English alphabet consists of twenty-six letters used to spell words in our native tongue."
The set of letters used when writing in a language.
"The English alphabet consists of twenty-six letters that are essential for reading and writing words."
In plain English: An alphabet is the complete list of letters used to write and spell words in a specific language.
"My child spent all afternoon practicing how to write every letter in the alphabet."
Usage: Use this word to refer specifically to the complete set of characters, such as the 26-letter system for English, rather than just any sequence of symbols. It is often confused with "abecedary," which denotes an instructional list or book teaching these letters in order.
To designate by the letters of the alphabet; to arrange alphabetically.
"The librarian decided to alphabetize the books on the shelf according to their titles."
In plain English: To alphabetize something means to arrange items in order based on their letters from A to Z.
"The teacher asked us to alphabetize these words by their first letters."
The word "alphabet" comes from Ancient Greek, where it originally meant "the first two letters." It was formed by combining the names alpha and beta, which are the first two characters of the Greek writing system.