letter
noun · verb
Simple meaning
The conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
lehterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈlɛtɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech
“His grandmother taught him his letters.”
A symbol in an alphabet.
A written or printed communication, generally longer and more formal than a note.
The literal meaning of something, as distinguished from its intended and remoter meaning (the spirit).
usuncountable
A size of paper, 8½ in × 11 in (215.9 mm × 279.4 mm).
Owner who lets another person use something (housing usually) for hire
verb
Mark letters on or mark with letters
Set down or print with letters
transitive
To print, inscribe, or paint letters on something.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech
Used this way, letter is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“His grandmother taught him his letters.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- alphabetic character , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use letter
- “His grandmother taught him his letters.”noun
- “Mailed an indignant letter to the editor.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The literary culture.
Letters inscribed (especially words engraved or carved) on something.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A license to a private citizen to seize property of another nation.
The conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech.
Dull knife used to cut open the envelopes in which letters are mailed or to slit uncut pages of books.
Writing paper for use in writing correspondence.
A stock or bond that is not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and cannot be sold in the public market.
Stock that has not been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and cannot be sold to the general public.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
An athlete who has earned a letter in a school sport.
A warrant formerly issued by a French king who could warrant imprisonment or death in a signed letter under his seal.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “letter” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.