Q 01/05

How many letters are in the modern English alphabet?

A) 24

B) 28

C) 30

D) 26

Answer · why

D) 26

Each has an uppercase and a lowercase form.

Q 02/05

The word 'alphabet' comes from the first two letters of which alphabet?

A) Greek (alpha and beta)

B) Latin (a and b)

C) Hebrew (aleph and bet)

D) Phoenician (aleph and bet)

Answer · why

A) Greek (alpha and beta)

Those Greek names in turn came from the Phoenician words for ox and house.

Q 03/05

The Greek letter names alpha and beta derive from Phoenician words for what?

A) Sun and moon

B) Water and fire

C) Ox and house

D) King and city

Answer · why

C) Ox and house

Aleph meant ox and bet meant house.

Q 04/05

How many consonant letters does the Phoenician alphabet have?

A) 16

B) 22

C) 26

D) 30

Answer · why

B) 22

It was an abjad, leaving vowel sounds unwritten.

Q 05/05

What is an abjad, like the Phoenician or Arabic script?

A) An alphabet written right to left

B) A syllable-based script

C) A picture-based script

D) An alphabet that writes only consonants

Answer · why

D) An alphabet that writes only consonants

Vowels are left implicit.