The Official Spanish Alphabet: Why The Answer Is 27 (And Why 'CH' And 'LL' Are Gone)
As of today, December 21, 2025, the official Spanish alphabet, known as the abecedario, contains exactly 27 letters. This number is the definitive standard set by the Real Academia Española (RAE) and the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE) in their 2010 publication, the Ortografía de la lengua española. This seemingly simple count is the result of a controversial, yet historically significant, decision that formally excluded two long-standing symbols—the ch and the ll—from being considered individual letters, a change many native speakers still find surprising.
The updated 27-letter system aligns the Spanish language more closely with the foundational principles of the Latin alphabet, emphasizing that each letter (or *grafema*) should represent a single, unique unit. This article dives deep into the official list, the reasons for the exclusion of the famous digraphs, and the other major name changes that every Spanish learner and native speaker should know to maintain perfect topical authority in the language.
The Official 27-Letter Spanish Alphabet (Including the Controversial Ñ)
The current abecedario is composed of five vowels and twenty-two consonants, a list standardized across all Spanish-speaking nations by the RAE and ASALE. The total count of 27 is a definitive figure, replacing the previous 29-letter count that had been in use for centuries.
The 27 official letters are:
- A (a)
- B (be)
- C (ce)
- D (de)
- E (e)
- F (efe)
- G (ge)
- H (hache)
- I (i)
- J (jota)
- K (ka)
- L (ele)
- M (eme)
- N (ene)
- Ñ (eñe)
- O (o)
- P (pe)
- Q (cu)
- R (erre)
- S (ese)
- T (te)
- U (u)
- V (uve)
- W (uve doble / doble u)
- X (equis)
- Y (ye)
- Z (zeta)
The inclusion of the Ñ (*eñe*) is what truly sets the Spanish alphabet apart from the standard 26-letter Latin alphabet used in English. The ñ is the only letter of the Spanish alphabet that originated in Spain, representing a palatal nasal sound. It is a single, unique *grafema* that represents a single *fonema* (sound), unlike the removed digraphs.
The Shocking RAE Decision: Why 'CH' and 'LL' Were Removed
For centuries, the Spanish alphabet was taught as having 29 letters, including the ch and the ll. The RAE first formally included them in the alphabet in 1803 and 1803, respectively, and they held their place for over 200 years.
However, the 2010 *Ortografía* made a definitive ruling: the ch and ll are no longer considered separate letters of the abecedario. This was a move to simplify and unify the Spanish alphabet with international standards, particularly the standards used by other Romance languages.
The Digraph Distinction: The Key to the Change
The core reason for the exclusion is that ch and ll are digraphs—sequences of two letters (*c* + *h* or *l* + *l*) that represent a single sound (*fonema*). The RAE decided that only single-letter signs, or *grafemas*, should be counted as letters of the alphabet.
This decision means that words beginning with *ch* (like chocolate) are now alphabetized under the letter C, and words beginning with *ll* (like llave) are alphabetized under the letter L. This brought an end to the historical practice of treating them as separate entries in dictionaries and indexes.
It is important to note that while they are no longer letters, the ch and ll are still essential parts of the Spanish writing system, representing unique sounds. They are two of the five principal digraphs in Spanish, the others being rr, gu, and qu. The rr was never considered a separate letter, but the ch and ll held that status until 2010.
More Than Just a Count: The Other Major RAE Name Changes
The 2010 RAE resolution did more than just reduce the letter count from 29 to 27; it also standardized the names of several letters to eliminate confusion and regional variations across the Spanish-speaking world. This focus on a single, universally recommended name for each letter is a major step toward linguistic unity.
The most notable name changes and standardizations include:
The Letter 'Y'
The letter Y was historically known by the name i griega (Greek i). The RAE now officially recommends the simpler name ye. While i griega is still understood, ye is the preferred and standardized term.
The Letter 'V'
The letter V was perhaps the most confusing, with regional names like ve corta (short v), ve chica (small v), or simply ve. To distinguish it from the letter B (which is called be), the RAE now officially recommends the name uve. This name is already common in Spain and is gaining acceptance throughout the Americas.
The Letter 'W'
The letter W is a foreign letter used primarily for words of Germanic or English origin (like whisky or web). Its names were highly variable: doble ve, doble u, or ve doble. The RAE has standardized the primary name as uve doble, though doble u is also an accepted alternative, reflecting its varied pronunciation.
Topical Authority: Understanding Graphemes, Fonemas, and Digraphs
To truly grasp why the Spanish alphabet has 27 letters, it's essential to understand the technical terms used by linguists and the RAE:
- Grapheme (*Grafema*): This is the minimal unit of the writing system—the letter itself. The RAE's 2010 ruling established that only single *grafemas* (like 'a', 'b', 'ñ') should be counted as letters.
- Phoneme (*Fonema*): This is the minimal unit of the sound system—the distinct sound. For example, the letter 'c' has two main *fonemas* depending on the following vowel (a hard 'k' sound in casa and a soft 's' or 'th' sound in cena).
- Digraph (*Dígrafo*): This is a sequence of two letters that represents a single sound (*fonema*). The five Spanish digraphs are ch, ll, rr, gu, and qu. The exclusion of ch and ll from the alphabet was based on their status as digraphs.
The definitive answer to "cuantas letras tiene el abecedario español" is 27, a number that reflects a modern, simplified, and unified standard for the language. While the memory of the 29-letter alphabet—complete with the ch and ll—remains strong among older generations and in historical contexts, the 27-letter count is the official, current, and correct standard for all academic and formal purposes today.
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