Alphabetical Order

Most of us can say our alphabet but can we use it effectively
when we want to refer to a list that's in alphabetical order?
Supposing you have to put the following names into alphabetical order:
JARVIS  JAQUES  JAMIESON  JASARAVIC  JAPP.

You'll realise fairly quickly that the order depends on
the third letter in each name. Does JASARAVIC come
before JAQUES or after it? People who are slow using
dictionaries, indexes and telephone directories, usually
struggle because they have to go right back to the start
of the alphabet to recite it.

The way to remember the alphabet is to split it into
little bits using rhyme - like a song or a poem:
      a  b  c
      d  e      f  g    (say "dee/ee   eff/gee" - in two pairs)
      h  i       j  k        l   m
      n  o      p  q
      r  s      t   u
      v  w     x  y  z
Notice that lines 1 and 2 rhyme, 4 and 5 rhyme.

1.  Practise saying the alphabet aloud. Listen for the
beat, the rhythm, just like a poem or a song:
"en/oh   pee/queue"  etc.

2.  Now practise "mouthing" the sounds - as if you're
whispering to yourself. (In the UK we use "practise" for the verb and "practice" for the noun. In the USA write "practice" for both noun and verb.)
If you recite the alphabet in this way you'll find it
easier to break into it at a suitable point - without
having to go back to the beginning each time.


3. Now go to dict2 for some practice using the alphabet.

3. Now go to dict2 for some practice using the alphabet.


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