Dialogue

 1 Intro|          of words or the sight of letters in a foreign tongue?’~‘We
 2 Intro|           that the figures of the letters, and the pitch of the voice
 3 Intro|       when they are combined; the letters are unknown, the syllables
 4 Intro|     hypothesis when tested by the letters of the alphabet is found
 5 Intro|           SO. But what is SO? Two letters, S and O, a sibilant and
 6 Intro|         or idea distinct from the letters or parts. The all of the
 7 Intro|           we are first taught the letters and then the syllables.
 8 Intro|          the notes, which are the letters, have a much more distinct
 9 Intro|           Theaetetus, but not the letters; yet not until he knows
10 Intro|           could write out all the letters and syllables of your name
11 Intro|    analogous term ‘elements,’ or ‘letters’? For there is no real resemblance
12 Intro|           between the relation of letters to a syllable, and of the
13 Intro|      language of ‘large and small letters’ (Republic), slightly differing
14  Thea|       saying? Or again, if we see letters which we do not understand,
15  Thea|          figure and colour of the letters, and we hear and know the
16  Thea|        admitted that he knows all letters and all numbers?~THEAETETUS:
17  Thea|           dream that the primeval letters or elements out of which
18  Thea|       Thus, then, the elements or letters are only objects of perception,
19  Thea|         all:—That the elements or letters are unknown, but the combination
20  Thea|           hostages?~SOCRATES: The letters, which are the clements;
21  Thea|    reasoned, did he not, from the letters of the alphabet?~THEAETETUS:
22  Thea|           way in which we learned letters? and, first of all, are
23  Thea|       have a definition, but that letters have no definition?~THEAETETUS:
24  Thea|        hissing; B, and most other letters, again, are neither vowel-sounds
25  Thea|     vowel-sounds nor noises. Thus letters may be most truly said to
26  Thea|         can be known, but not the letters?~THEAETETUS: I think so.~
27  Thea|         we mean by a syllable two letters, or if there are more, all
28  Thea|          say that we mean all the letters.~SOCRATES: Take the case
29  Thea|          Take the case of the two letters S and O, which form the
30  Thea|        syllable, he must know the letters first; and thus the fine
31  Thea|        that a syllable is not the letters, but rather one single idea
32  Thea|         of harmonious elements—of letters or of any other elements.~
33  Thea|           the syllable is not the letters, and then the letters are
34  Thea|         the letters, and then the letters are not parts of the syllable,
35  Thea|         will be the same with the letters, and will therefore be equally
36  Thea| THEAETETUS: Yes.~SOCRATES: But if letters are not parts of syllables,
37  Thea|          syllables, which are not letters?~THEAETETUS: No, indeed,
38  Thea|       ridiculous in me to give up letters and seek for other parts.~
39  Thea|           and for this reason the letters or elements were indefinable
40  Thea|           case as the elements or letters, if it has no parts and
41  Thea|      whole, and has many parts or letters, the letters as well as
42  Thea|        many parts or letters, the letters as well as the syllable
43  Thea|        then the syllables and the letters are alike undefined and
44  Thea|        and expressed, but not the letters.~THEAETETUS: Certainly not;
45  Thea|          distinguish the separate letters both by the eye and by the
46  Thea|        allow, are the elements or letters of music?~THEAETETUS: Exactly.~
47  Thea|        Then, if we argue from the letters and syllables which we know
48  Thea|  compounds, we shall say that the letters or simple elements as a
49  Thea|         the syllables and not the letters of your name—that would
50  Thea|           mean that I mistook the letters and misspelt the syllables?~
51  Thea|         he knows the order of the letters and can write them out correctly,
52  Thea|          he knew the order of the letters when he wrote; and this