Words with D

History of the letter D

Its story begins with the ancient Phoenician letter "daleth," which means "door." Over time, "daleth" was adopted into the Greek alphabet as "delta," resembling a triangle, and eventually transformed into the familiar semi-circle shape with a vertical line we recognize today in the Roman alphabet. Phonetically, "D" represents a voiced dental or alveolar stop in English, produced by placing the tongue against the upper teeth or the alveolar ridge and vibrating the vocal cords as air is released. This sound is foundational in the English language, occurring both at the beginning of words, such as "dog" or "drive," and in the middle or end of words, like "middle" or "end." Beyond its linguistic role, the letter "D" carries various significant meanings in different contexts. In academic grading in many parts of the world, a "D" often denotes the lowest passing grade. In Roman numerals, "D" represents the number 500. Through its sound, shape, and historical journey from ancient scripts to present-day usage, "D" contributes richly to the texture of the English language and alphabet.

Words that start with D