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An '''alphabet''' is a series of symbols that enable the spoken word to be recorded for later use and are the foundation stone of [[writing]].  The word "alphabet" is a combination of the first two letters ([[alpha]] and [[beta]]) of the [[Greek]] alphabet. Modern alphabets have evolved from ancient ''pictograms'' where a spoken sound was represented by small drawing of an object.  These pictures eventually developed into formalised graphical symbols.  By convention these symbols are written in a specific order ([[alphabetic]] order).   

An '''alphabet''' is a series of symbols [[letters]] which correlate to individual sounds, allowing the spoken word to be recorded for later use.  The word "alphabet" is a combination of the first two letters ([[alpha]] and [[beta]]) of the [[Greek]] alphabet. Many ancient alphabets evolved from even earlier writings, of ancient ''pictograms'' where a spoken sound or word was represented by small drawing of an object.  These pictures eventually developed into formalized graphical symbols.  By convention these symbols are written in a specific order ([[alphabetic]] order).   

 

== Latin Alphabets ==

== Latin Alphabets ==

=== Other Languages ===

=== Other Languages ===

Most European languages use the same letters as the English alphabet but often less than the full 26 except in the case of imported words. Other languages have extended the alphabet with [[diacritic]]s<ref>Sometimes referred to as ''accented'' letter, e.g. á, ç, è, î, ñ, ü</ref>, [[digraph]]s<ref>Two letters that represent a single sound and are regarded as distinct from their individual components, such as ''ll'' in Welsh or Spanish</ref> and [[ligature]]s <ref>Two letters that are combined into one such as the German double-S: '''''ß'''''</ref>.  

Most Germanic and Romance languages from Europe use the same letters as the English alphabet. Some languages expand the alphabet's representation with with [[diacritic]]al<ref>Sometimes referred to as ''accented'' letter, e.g. á, ç, è, î, ñ, ü</ref> markings on the letters, but these are not considered by the language to be distinct letters. [[digraph]]s<ref>Two letters that represent a single sound and are regarded as distinct from their individual components, such as ''ll'' in Welsh or Spanish</ref> and [[ligature]]s <ref>Two letters that are combined into one such as the German double-S: '''''ß'''''</ref>.  

== Greek Alphabet ==

== Greek Alphabet ==

== Cyrillic Alphabet ==

== Cyrillic Alphabet ==

The '''Cyrillic alphabet''', and variants of it, is used in [[Russian]], [[Ukrainian]], [[Bulgarian]], [[Serbo-Croat]] and [[Mongolian]] (in the Republic of [[Mongolia]]). It was used in some other [[Soviet]] republics before their independence from the [[Soviet Union]], but many of these have changed to the Latin Alphabet.

The '''Cyrillic alphabet''', and variants of it, is used in [[Russian]], [[Ukrainian]], [[Bulgarian]], [[Serbo-Croat]] and [[Mongolian]] (in the Republic of [[Mongolia]]). The Cyrillic alphablet was manditory in [[Soviet]] republics before their independence from the [[Soviet Union]], but many of these have reverted to their earlier alphabets which often are based on Latin letters.

== Hebrew Alphabet ==

== Hebrew Alphabet ==