The video discusses 10 letters that were once part of the English alphabet but have since been removed or replaced. These letters include:
1. Long S: A stylistic substitute for the modern lowercase "s", used until the 19th century.
2. Ampersand (&): Originally considered the 27th letter of the alphabet, it represented the word "and".
3. Thorn: A letter that represented the "TH" sound, replaced by the letter "y" in some cases.
4. That: A symbol used as shorthand for the word "that", commonly used in Old English writing.
5. Eth: A letter that represented a different type of "TH" sound, distinct from the voiceless dental fricative.
6. Ash: A letter that represented a sound between "a" and "e", no longer used in modern English.
7. Ethel: A letter used to indicate a long "e" sound, particularly in Latin and Greek words.
8. Wynn: A letter that represented the "w" sound, replaced by the modern "double-u" (W).
9. Yogh: A letter that represented a specific sound, similar to the "ch" in the Scottish "loch".
10. Eng: A letter created by Alexander Gill the Elder in 1690, intended to replace the "ng" combination, but ultimately failed to gain widespread use.
The video aims to educate viewers on the history and evolution of the English alphabet, highlighting the complexities and changes that have occurred over time.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. There are 26 letters in the English alphabet.
2. The alphabet has undergone changes throughout history.
3. The long s (ſ) was a letter used in the past, but was eventually phased out in the 19th century.
4. The long s was used in certain situations, such as when a single s appeared in a word, or as the first s in a double s.
5. The modern lowercase s was used concurrently with the long s.
6. The ampersand (&) was considered the 27th letter of the alphabet in the past.
7. The ampersand was used as a shorthand for the word "and".
8. The thorn (þ) was a letter used to represent the "th" sound in Old English.
9. The thorn was replaced by the letter "y" in some cases, but retained its original pronunciation.
10. The letter "that" (þ) was used as a shorthand for the word "that".
11. The eth (ð) is a letter used to represent a different type of "th" sound than the thorn.
12. The ash (æ) is a letter used to represent a sound between "a" and "e".
13. The letter "ethel" (ē) was used to represent a long "e" sound in words of Latin or Greek origin.
14. The letter "wynn" (ƿ) was used to represent the "w" sound in Old English.
15. The letter "wynn" was eventually replaced by the double-u (w).
16. The yogh (ȝ) was used to represent a sound similar to the "ch" in the Scottish "loch".
17. The yogh was eventually replaced by the "gh" combination.
18. The eng (ŋ) was a letter proposed by Alexander Gill the Elder in 1690 to represent the "ng" sound.
19. The eng was not widely adopted due to difficulties in printing and reading.