Small letters, also known as lowercase letters, refer to the set of alphabetic characters that are smaller in size and typically placed at the bottom half of a line of text. In contrast to capital letters or uppercase letters, small letters possess distinct shapes and are used in writing systems for various languages.
In English and many other languages, small letters consist of 26 characters: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, and z. They usually have rounded or curved forms, making them visually distinct from capital letters.
Small letters serve various purposes in written text. They are commonly used at the beginning of a sentence, unless employing an uppercase letter for proper nouns or emphasis. Small letters are also used for the formation of words, sentences, and paragraphs throughout a piece of writing.
Furthermore, small letters are frequently utilized to represent sounds in phonetic transcriptions, whereas capital letters denote phonemic symbols. They play a crucial role in differentiating between words and conveying meaning in written communication.
While the concept of small letters originates from Latin alphabet, similar distinctions exist in other writing systems, such as Cyrillic, Greek, and Devanagari. Small letters are fundamental elements of the written language, facilitating effective communication across various domains.
