lesson 4

"A" stands for Alphabet

One of the first questions at the speaking exam is "How do you spell your surname?"

In English spelling is important because often sounds and letters don't match.

Let's try with some questions:

• What's your name? ....  How do you spell it?
• What's your surname? ....  How do you spell that?
• What's your email address? ....  Can you spell it?
• Where do you live? ....  Could you spell that please?

Sometimes you need to write words (during a telephone call, for example), and you have to be ready for it. 

Listen and write words in the following exercise 

Letters letters letters...

How many letters are there in the English alphabet?

• What's the first letter?
• And the fifth?
• The tenth?
• The twenty-second letter?
• And what's the twenty-third letter?
• And finally what's the last letter?

Did you know that there are some letters that are more poetic than others?

Watch the short video to find out

Missing U from Brooke Wagstaff on Vimeo.

MISSING U Video Script by Marina Priest  (thanks to Brooke Wagstaff)

I & U = WE: that's nice, short but nice!

Letters are often used in abbreviations, and many of them are common in sms, social network and chatting.
For example, what does RUOK stand for? (Are you ok?)
And CT? (City)
Now work in pairs and find out some more abbreviations asking each other what they stand for

Student a-b Abbreviations by Marina Priest

Another place where you listen to letters and numbers is the airport: try a listening exercise

Now try to ask and give information about the flights on the display:
ex: What gate is flight AA343 boarding at?
What number is the flight to London?

Have a nice spelling day!

If you need to revise the alphabet, here are some links: 

Alphabet 1

Alphabet 2

Alphabet 3

Alphabet 4