Alphabet, reading rules

Learning English starts with the alphabet and with sounds. English has 26 letters, but the same letter often sounds different in different words. Learn sounds, not only letter names.

The alphabet

Vowels: A E I O U. The letter Y is a vowel in my and a consonant in yes.

Letter names (approximate): A [eɪ], B [biː], C [siː], D [diː], E [iː], F [ef], G [dʒiː], H [eɪtʃ], I [aɪ], J [dʒeɪ], K [keɪ], L [el], M [em], N [en], O [əʊ], P [piː], Q [kjuː], R [ɑː / ɑr], S [es], T [tiː], U [juː], V [viː], W [ˈdʌbljuː], X [eks], Y [waɪ], Z [zed] (BrE) / [ziː] (AmE).

A few reading patterns

a in cat [æ], but in name [eɪ] (silent final e).
c before e/i/y is often [s]: city; otherwise [k]: cat.
g before e/i/y is often [dʒ]: giant; sometimes [g]: get.
th is one sound: this [ð], think [θ] — not [t]+[h].
sh [ʃ] as in ship; ch is usually [tʃ] as in chair.

Practice: read aloud: cat, cake, city, go, giant, this, think, ship, chair.