Letter names: C, S and Z: How and When to Use in English

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Letter names: C, S and Z

Here are some of the letter names we can use to recite the alphabet or tell someone how to spell a word in English:

C , S , Z or 

Z is called in American English and   in British English.

Exercise 1

Listen to each clip and choose the corresponding letter.

→

→

→

Listen to each clip and choose the corresponding letter.

→ C 1

→ Z 2

→ S 3

1 C:

is how we say the letter name for C, as in cook or centre.

1 S:

The letter name for S is , but here you heard C .

1 Z:

The name of the letter Z is in American English and   in British English, but here you heard C .

2 Z:

is the letter name we use in American English for Z, for example if we are telling someone how to spell zebra or zoo. Note: the letter name we use in British English is .

2 S:

The letter name for S is , but here you heard Z .

2 C:

The name of the letter C is , but here you heard Z .

3 S:

is how we say the name of the letter S, for example if we are spelling sun or sale out loud.

3 Z:

Z is called in American English and   in British English, but here you heard S .

3 C:

The name of the letter C is , but here you heard S .

Exercise 2

Listen to each clip and choose the corresponding letter.

 →

→

→

Listen to each clip and choose the corresponding letter.

 → Z 1

→ S 2

→ C 3

1 Z:

is the letter name we use in American English for Z, for example if we are telling someone how to spell zip or zoom. Note: the letter name we use in British English is .

1 S:

The name of the letter S is , but here you heard Z .

1 C:

The letter name for C is , but here you heard Z .

2 S:

is the letter name we use for S, for example if we are spelling sea or salt.

2 Z:

The letter name for Z is in American English and   in British English, but here you heard S .

2 C:

C is called , but here you heard S .

3 C:

is the letter name for C, used in cake or cool.

3 S:

The name of the letter S is , but here you heard C .

3 Z:

The letter name for Z is in American English and   in British English, but here you heard C .

Exercise 3

Listen to each clip and choose the corresponding letter.

→

→

→

Listen to each clip and choose the corresponding letter.

→ S 1

→ C 2

→ Z 3

1 S:

is how we say the name of the letter S, for example if we are spelling street or same out loud.

1 Z:

The name of the letter Z is in American English and   in British English, but here you heard S .

1 C:

The name of the letter C is , but here you heard S .

2 C:

is the letter name for C, used to spell coat or cute.

2 S:

The letter name for S is , but here you heard C .

2 Z:

The name of the letter Z is in American English and   in British English, but here you heard C .

3 Z:

is the letter name used in British English for Z, for example if we are telling someone how to spell zone or zest. Note: the letter name we use in American English is .

3 C:

C is called , but here you heard Z .

3 S:

The name of the letter S is , but here you heard Z .

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