Language · 2
Which letter of the modern English alphabet did not exist as a distinct character until the 1600s, with 'I' previously used for both its vowel and consonant sounds?
Answer
J
For centuries 'I' and 'J' were treated as the same letter, with 'J' typically just a stylistic variant used at the end of Roman numerals or word-initial positions. English printers only began treating 'J' as a separate consonant letter in the 1600s.
💡 Did you know?
The letter 'J' didn't exist in English until the 1600s—before then, 'I' served double duty as both vowel and consonant.
Other options people guess
- U
- V
- W
Topics
- alphabet
- etymology
- history-of-writing
- letters
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