Learn the 26 letters of the English alphabet with tips on pronunciation, spelling, and beginner-friendly practice for reading and writing The English alphabet contains 26 letters that create the foundation of the English language. These letters come in two forms: uppercase (capital letters) and lowercase (small letters). For Example: “A” is the uppercase form and “a” is the lowercase form of the same letter. The alphabet has 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 21 consonants, with the letter “y” playing a special role. The “y” can work as either a vowel or consonant depending on where it appears in a word. In “yellow,” it’s a consonant, but in words like “happy” or “rhythm,” it becomes a vowel.