Fixed point alphabet

alpha.py

alphabet = [("a", "a"), ("bee", "b"), ("see", "c"), ("dee", "d"), 
            ("e", "e"), ("ef", "f"), ("gee", "g"), ("aitch", "h"), 
            ("i", "i"), ("jay", "j"), ("kay", "k"), ("ell", "l"), 
            ("em", "m"), ("en", "n"), ("o", "o"), ("pee", "p"), 
            ("cue", "q"), ("ar", "r"), ("ess", "s"), ("tee", "t"), 
            ("u", "u"), ("vee", "v"), ("double-u", "w"), ("ex", "x"), 
            ("wye", "y"), ("zee", "z")]

def alpha_ind(a):
    for i in range(len(alphabet)):
        if (alphabet[i][1] == a):
            return i

def alpha_cmp(a, b):
    if a == "" and b == "":
        return 0;
    if a == "":
        return -1;
    if b == "":
        return 1;
    if a[0] == b[0]:
        return alpha_cmp(a[1:], b[1:]);
    return cmp(alpha_ind(a[0]), 
               alpha_ind(b[0]));

def new_alphabet():
    global alphabet
    alphabet = sorted(alphabet, 
                      cmp=lambda x, y: alpha_cmp(x[0], y[0]))    
    return alphabet

if __name__ == '__main__':
    while new_alphabet() != new_alphabet(): pass
    print [a[1] for a in alphabet]