I (Cyrillic)

І (lowercase і) is a letter in the Cyrillic alphabet. It is used in the Belarusian, Kazakh, Ukrainian, Rusyn, and Komi languages.

Pronunciation and Transliteration

The Cyrillic letter І generally represents the close front unrounded vowel /i/, similar to the "ee" sound in the English word "see". In transliteration to the Latin alphabet, it is most commonly represented as "i".

Distinction from И

І is distinct from the Cyrillic letter И (which is transliterated as "i" in Russian, but is pronounced as /ɨ/, a close central unrounded vowel). Confusion between these two letters is common among those unfamiliar with the Slavic languages that use both.

Use in Various Languages

• Belarusian: І is used and represents the sound /i/.
• Kazakh (Cyrillic): І is used to represent the sound /ɪ/.
• Ukrainian: І is used and represents the sound /i/.
• Rusyn: І is used and represents the sound /i/.
• Komi: І is used and represents the sound /i/.

History

The Cyrillic letter І is derived from the Greek letter Iota (Ι, ι).