ArrayList declaration

i declared a arraylist in class

private ArrayList alphabets = new ArrayList({"A", "B", "C", "D"});

getting errors

error CS1526: A new expression requires () or [] after type: 

error CS1519: Unexpected symbol `B' in class, struct, or interface
member declaration

error CS8025: Parsing error

How to escape from this? I want to check first alphabet of word exist in that arraylist

Your syntax is wrong. What you want is this:

ArrayList alphabets = new ArrayList{"A", "B"};