Alphabet song
Encyclopedia
An alphabet song is any of various songs used to teach children an alphabet
, used in kindergarten
s, pre-schools and homes around the world. Alphabet songs typically follow the alphabetic principle
(though the phonics
method offers variants). In languages such as English
with morphophonemic variation, an alphabet song usually chooses a particular pronunciation
for each letter in the alphabet (i.e. "cake" is ˈ, not [ˈkaːkɛ]) and also typically for some words in the song.
alphabet songs, and perhaps the one most frequently referred to as "the alphabet song", especially in the United States
.
The song was first copyrighted in 1835 by the Boston
-based music publisher Charles Bradlee, and given the title "The A.B.C., a German air with variations for the flute with an easy accompaniment for the piano forte". The musical arrangement was attributed to Louis Le Maire (sometimes Lemaire), an 18th century composer. This was "Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1835, by C. Bradlee, in the clerk's office of the District Court of Massachusetts", according to the Newberry Library, which also says, "The theme is that used by Mozart
for his piano variations, Ah, vous dirai-je, maman." This tune is more commonly recognizable as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star".
Lyrics: (each line represents two measures, or eight beats)
, Z
is pronounced zee; in most other English-speaking countries it is pronounced zed. Generally the absent zee-rhyme is not missed, although some children use a zee pronunciation in the rhyme which they would not use elsewhere. Variants of the song exist to accommodate the zed pronunciation. One variation shortens the second line and lengthens the last, to form a near-rhyme between N
and zed:
In UK (Nursery Rhymes):
Other variants make significantly more changes in order to rhyme with zed, and even alter the rest of the song to fit a new rhythm. For example:
method.
(continue for each letter with several slightly different melodies)
This song teaches children that each letter has a name and sounds. Just like a dog
says "woof" and a cat
says "meow", the "I" says "eye" and "ee".
, Fred Wise
, Sidney Lippman
, and later Perry Como
, called A, You're Adorable:
The Canadian children's TV series The Big Comfy Couch
used a version of the song in the episode "Backwards".
Comedian Soupy Sales
released a song in 1966 called "Backwards Alphabet" which contained the reverse alphabet in lyrical style.
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
, used in kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
s, pre-schools and homes around the world. Alphabet songs typically follow the alphabetic principle
Alphabetic principle
According to the alphabetic principle, letters and combinations of letters are the symbols used to represent the speech sounds of a language based on systematic and predictable relationships between written letters, symbols, and spoken words...
(though the phonics
Phonics
Phonics refers to a method for teaching speakers of English to read and write that language. Phonics involves teaching how to connect the sounds of spoken English with letters or groups of letters and teaching them to blend the sounds of letters together to produce approximate pronunciations...
method offers variants). In languages such as English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
with morphophonemic variation, an alphabet song usually chooses a particular pronunciation
Pronunciation
Pronunciation refers to the way a word or a language is spoken, or the manner in which someone utters a word. If one is said to have "correct pronunciation", then it refers to both within a particular dialect....
for each letter in the alphabet (i.e. "cake" is ˈ, not [ˈkaːkɛ]) and also typically for some words in the song.
The A.B.C.
"The A.B.C." (icon) or "A.B.C's" (icon) is one of the best-known English languageEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
alphabet songs, and perhaps the one most frequently referred to as "the alphabet song", especially in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The song was first copyrighted in 1835 by the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-based music publisher Charles Bradlee, and given the title "The A.B.C., a German air with variations for the flute with an easy accompaniment for the piano forte". The musical arrangement was attributed to Louis Le Maire (sometimes Lemaire), an 18th century composer. This was "Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1835, by C. Bradlee, in the clerk's office of the District Court of Massachusetts", according to the Newberry Library, which also says, "The theme is that used by Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
for his piano variations, Ah, vous dirai-je, maman." This tune is more commonly recognizable as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star".
Lyrics: (each line represents two measures, or eight beats)
- a-b-c-d-e-f-g, (/eɪ biː siː diː iː ɛf dʒiː,/)
- h-i-j-k-lmnop, (/eɪtʃ aɪ dʒeɪ keɪ ɛlɛmɛnoʊ piː,/ l-m-n-o spoken twice as quickly as rest of rhyme)
- q-r-s, t-u-v, (/kjuː ɑr ɛs, tiː juː viː,/ pause between s and t)
- w--x, y-and-z, (/dʌbɨjuː ɛks, waɪ ænd ziː,/ pause between x and y, w and x last for two beats)
- Now I know my ABCs; (/naʊ aɪ noʊ maɪ eɪ biː siːz,/)
- next time won't you sing with me? (/nɛkst taɪm woʊnt juː sɪŋ wɪθ miː/).
Zed for Zee
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Z
Z
Z is the twenty-sixth and final letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Name and pronunciation:In most dialects of English, the letter's name is zed , reflecting its derivation from the Greek zeta but in American English, its name is zee , deriving from a late 17th century English dialectal...
is pronounced zee; in most other English-speaking countries it is pronounced zed. Generally the absent zee-rhyme is not missed, although some children use a zee pronunciation in the rhyme which they would not use elsewhere. Variants of the song exist to accommodate the zed pronunciation. One variation shortens the second line and lengthens the last, to form a near-rhyme between N
N
N is the fourteenth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.- History of the forms :One of the most common hieroglyphs, snake, was used in Egyptian writing to stand for a sound like English ⟨J⟩, because the Egyptian word for "snake" was djet...
and zed:
- a-b-c-d-e-f-g
- h-i-j-k-lmnop
- q-r-s
- t-u-v
- w-x
- y and zee
- Now I know my "ABCs",
- Next time won't you sing with me
In UK (Nursery Rhymes):
- a-b-c-d-e-f-g
- h-i-j-k-lmnop
- q-r-s-t-u-v-w
- x-y-zed
- Now I know my "ABCs"
- Next time won't you sing with me
Other variants make significantly more changes in order to rhyme with zed, and even alter the rest of the song to fit a new rhythm. For example:
- a-b-c-d-e-f-g
- h-i-j-k-lmnop
- lmnop-q-r-s-t
- u-v-w-x-y-zed
- x-y-zed
- Sugar on your bread
- Eat it all up
- Before you go to bed.
Phonics
This alphabet song, sung to a different melody from that of the previous, is taught by some pre-schools that use the phonicsPhonics
Phonics refers to a method for teaching speakers of English to read and write that language. Phonics involves teaching how to connect the sounds of spoken English with letters or groups of letters and teaching them to blend the sounds of letters together to produce approximate pronunciations...
method.
- What does the A say? Ay Aa Ah (the vowels are sounded completely)
- What does the B say? B* B* B* (only the leading sound of consonants are sung in the response part)
- What does the C say? S* and K*
- What does the D say? D* D* D*
- What does the E say? Ee and Eh
- . . .
(continue for each letter with several slightly different melodies)
- . . .
- What does the X say? Cs Cs Cs
- What does the Y say? Yuh* Ee* Eye*
- What does the Z say? Zzz Zzz Zzz
- What do you call these phones and sounds?
- English alphabet letters.
- Yeah!
This song teaches children that each letter has a name and sounds. Just like a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
says "woof" and a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
says "meow", the "I" says "eye" and "ee".
Acrostic songs
There are also songs that go through the alphabet, making each letter stand for something in the process. One example was recorded in 1948, by Buddy KayeBuddy Kaye
Jules Leonard "Buddy" Kaye was an American award-winning songwriter, musician, producer, author and publisher. His songs were recorded by top performers, including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Perry Como, Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield...
, Fred Wise
Fred Wise (lyricist)
Fred Wise was the co-writer of the lyrics to the 1948 song "'A' — You're Adorable" with Buddy Kaye. He subsequently wrote many of the songs sung by Elvis Presley in his movies....
, Sidney Lippman
Sidney Lippman
Sidney Lippman was a composer and songwriter.He wrote the music for Nat King Cole's 1951 No. 1 hit "Too Young". He died at a nursing home in North Bergen, New Jersey. He was 89 and had lived in Fort Lee, New Jersey....
, and later Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, called A, You're Adorable:
- A, you're adorable
- B, you're so beautiful
- C, you're a cutie full of charms
- D, you're a darling
- And E, you're exciting
- And F, you're a feather in my arms
- G, you look good to me
- H, you're so heavenly
- I, you're the one I idolize
- J, we're like Jack and Jill
- K, you're so kissable
- L, is the love light in your eyes
- M, N, O, P
- I could go on all day
- Q, R, S, T
- Alphabetically speaking: "You're OK"
- U, made my life complete
- V, means you're very sweet
- W, X, Y, Z
- It's fun to wander through the alphabet with you to tell you what you mean to me
Backwards song
The group Wee Sing released an alphabet song with the letters in reverse order. It is called ZYXs. It goes as follows:- Z-Y-X-W-V-and-U--
- T-and-S-and-R-and-Q--
- P-O-N-M-L-K-J--,
- I-H-G-F-EDCBA-- (EDCBA said like LMNOP in alphabet song)
- Now I know my ZYXs
- Next time we'll sing down in TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
The Canadian children's TV series The Big Comfy Couch
The Big Comfy Couch
The Big Comfy Couch is a Canadian children's television series about Loonette the Clown and her doll Molly, who solve everyday problems on their "Big Comfy Couch". It aired from 1992 until early 2006. Re-runs of the show are still being aired on Treehouse TV. It was produced by Cheryl Wagner and...
used a version of the song in the episode "Backwards".
Comedian Soupy Sales
Soupy Sales
Soupy Sales was an American comedian, actor, radio-TV personality and host, and jazz aficionado. He was best known for his local and network children's television show, Lunch with Soupy Sales; a series of comedy sketches frequently ending with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his...
released a song in 1966 called "Backwards Alphabet" which contained the reverse alphabet in lyrical style.
See also
- "ABC–DEF–GHI", a song sung by Big BirdBig BirdBig Bird is a protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends....
of Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The... - "The ElementsThe Elements (song)"The Elements" is a song by musical humorist Tom Lehrer, which recites the names of all the chemical elements known at the time of writing, up to number 102, nobelium. It can be found on his albums Tom Lehrer in Concert, More Songs by Tom Lehrer and An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer...
", a mnemonicMnemonicA mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
song of the periodic tablePeriodic tableThe periodic table of the chemical elements is a tabular display of the 118 known chemical elements organized by selected properties of their atomic structures. Elements are presented by increasing atomic number, the number of protons in an atom's atomic nucleus...
by Tom LehrerTom LehrerThomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater... - The song "Do-Re-MiDo-Re-Mi"Do-Re-Mi" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Within the story, it is used by Maria to teach the notes of the major musical scale to the Von Trapp children who learn to sing for the first time, even though their father has disallowed frivolity after...
" from The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, which is used to learn the order of the notes in the SolfegeSolfegeIn music, solfège is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable...
scale, just like the alphabet song is used to learn the order of the letters in the alphabetical order. - Al'z A-B-Cee'z, an alphabet song by hip hop group 3rd Bass3rd Bass3rd Bass was an American hip-hop group that rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip-hop groups.-Career:...
, on their 1991 album Derelicts of DialectDerelicts of DialectDerelicts of Dialect was Queens-based emcees 3rd Bass' second LP and final studio album, released on Def Jam Recordings...
. - The Alphabet SongAlphabet songAn alphabet song is any of various songs used to teach children an alphabet, used in kindergartens, pre-schools and homes around the world. Alphabet songs typically follow the alphabetic principle...
recorded in 1987 for the KidsongsKidsongsKidsongs is an American award-winning children's media franchise which includes Kidsongs Music Video Stories on DVD and video, The Kidsongs TV Show, CDs of favorite children’s songs, song books, sheet music, toys and an ecommerce website...
music video collection "What I Want To Be".
Traditional alphabet songs in other languages
- IrohaIrohaThe is a Japanese poem, probably written in the Heian era . Originally the poem was attributed to the founder of the Shingon Esoteric sect of Buddhism in Japan, Kūkai, but more modern research has found the date of composition to be later in the Heian Period. The first record of its existence...
, Japanese - Shiva SutraShiva SutraThe Shiva Sutras or Māheshvara Sutras are fourteen verses that organize the phonemes of the Sanskrit language as referred to in the of , the foundational text of Sanskrit grammar...
, Sanskrit - Thousand Character ClassicThousand Character ClassicThe Thousand Character Classic is a Chinese poem used as a primer for teaching Chinese characters to children. It contains exactly one thousand unique characters. It is said that Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty commissioned 周興嗣 to compose this poem for his prince to practice calligraphy...
, Chinese and Korean - Alif Ba Ta Tsa, Arabic