The sequence of the English alphabet, running from A to Z, is a convention with roots extending back more than three millennia. While often taken for granted, the familiar order of letters can be traced to ancient scripts that laid the foundation for modern writing systems.

The earliest known precursor to the English alphabet is the Phoenician alphabet, which was used in the eastern Mediterranean region from approximately 1200 BC. This alphabet began with the letters aleph, beth, gimel, and daleth, corresponding to the modern A, B, C, and D. Archaeological evidence, particularly from inscriptions at Ugarit in present-day Syria dating to around the 14th century BC, indicates that a fixed sequence of letters was already established at that time.

Following the Phoenicians, the Greeks adopted their alphabet around the 9th or 8th century BC. They retained much of the original letter order but made significant adaptations, including the introduction of vowels, which were absent in the Phoenician system. The Greek alphabet began with alpha, beta, gamma, and delta, from which the term "alphabet" itself is derived.

Subsequently, the Greek alphabet influenced the writing systems of the Etruscans in Italy. The Etruscan alphabet then informed the development of the Roman Latin alphabet, which ultimately became the basis for the modern English alphabet. While changes occurred over the centuries—including letters added, removed, or altered—the fundamental order of letters has remained notably consistent.

This long-standing sequence, originating in antiquity and carried through multiple cultures and languages, underpins the structure of the English alphabet used today.