How are substituents labeled in common names for carboxylic acids?

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oxidation of alcohols — carboxylic acid Alcohols may be oxidized to give aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. The oxidation of organic compounds generally increases the number of bonds from carbon to oxygen, and it may decrease the number of bonds to hydrogen.

In common nomenclature for carboxylic acids, substituents on the hydrocarbon chain are labeled using Greek letters instead of numbers.

Unlike the IUPAC system, where the chain is numbered starting from the carboxyl carbon, the use of Greek letters begins with the carbon atom immediately adjacent to the carboxyl group. For example, the compound known as $γ$ -aminobutyric acid (GABA) uses this convention to identify the position of the amino substituent relative to the carboxyl group.1