B (bē) is
the second letter of the
English alphabet. (See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 196, 220.) It is etymologically related to p, v, f, w, and m, letters representing
sounds having a close organic affinity to its own sound; as in
Eng. bursar and purser; Eng. bear and Lat.
ferre; Eng. silver and Ger. silber; Lat.
cubitum and It. gomito;
Eng. seven, Anglo-Saxon seofon, Ger. sieben, Lat.
septem, Gr."epta`, Sanskrit saptan. The form
of letter B
is Roman, from the Greek B (Beta), of Semitic origin. The small b was formed by
gradual change from the capital B.
In Music, B is the nominal of the seventh tone in the model major scale (the scale of C major), or of
the second tone in its relative minor scale (that of A minor). B♭ stands for B flat, the tone a half step , or
semitone, lower than B. In German, B stands for our B♭, while our B natural
is called H (pronounced hä).
Hear it pronounced