The alphabet used in English was developed by the Phoenician Empire, which flourished around 1200 BCE in the region that is now Lebanon and parts of the eastern Mediterranean. The Phoenician alphabet is considered one of the earliest phonetic alphabets and laid the foundation for many other alphabets, including Greek and Latin, which ultimately led to the modern English alphabet we use today. This system emphasized a simpler representation of sounds compared to earlier writing systems like cuneiform and hieroglyphics, allowing for greater literacy and communication. Consequently, the Phoenician innovation significantly influenced the linguistic development in the Western world.