letter

CEFRA1

/ˈlɛtə/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A written message sent to someone.

  2. 02

    noun

    A symbol in an alphabet used to write words.

Examples

  • Didn't you write a letter to him?

  • I have to write a letter. Do you have some paper?

At a glance

Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • /ˈletə/
  • /ˈlɛʈ(ː)əʳ/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A written or printed communication, usually defined as longer and more formal than a note. (Sometimes specifically one that is on paper.)

  2. The literal meaning of something, as distinguished from its intended and remoter meaning (the spirit).

  3. A symbol in an alphabet.

More examples

In context

  • It was clear that the letter had deeply distressed her.

  • Benjamin Franklin was multiskilled – a scientist, politician and a man of letters.

  • I wrote a letter to my sister about my life.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She placed the handwritten blank inside an envelope and mailed it to her friend.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English letter, lettre, from Old French letre, from Latin littera (“letter of the alphabet"; in plural, "epistle”). Displaced Old English bōcstæf (literally “book staff”) in sense 1 and ǣrendġewrit (literally “message writing”) in sense 2.