I is the 9th letter of the German alphabet, representing a close front unrounded vowel, occurring as long /iː/ in words like 'Igel' and short /ɪ/ in words like 'in' or 'Kind'. In German Kurrent handwriting, it has a distinct historical ductus taught across German-speaking Europe until 1941.
Nothing to confuse it with.
- Printed
- I i
- Name
- I (i)
- Transliteration
- i
- IPA
- /iː/, /ɪ/
- Position
- 9 of 26
History
The letter I occupies the 9th position in the German alphabet. Phonetically, it represents a close front unrounded vowel, occurring as long /iː/ in words like 'Igel' and short /ɪ/ in words like 'in' or 'Kind'.
Lowercase i in Kurrent is a single vertical downstroke in the middle zone, equipped with an entry stroke and an exit hook, and crowned with a distinct dot (Tüttel). Because the stroke itself is identical to a single tooth of n, m, or u, the placement and presence of the dot is paleographically essential. Capital I is a tall vertical curved stroke with a decorative upper loop, historically identical in ductus to capital J.
Historically in German handwriting and typography, I and J were treated as variants of the same letter. In older parish registers and municipal citizen lists, names starting with I and J are regularly filed together under a single index heading, reflecting centuries of unified orthographic tradition.
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