i
“i” means “i” in Spanish (The letter of the alphabet.).
i
Also: the vowel 'i'
📝 In Action
La palabra 'isla' empieza con la letra i.
A1The word 'isla' (island) begins with the letter i.
En español, la 'i' siempre suena como la 'ee' en la palabra inglesa 'see'.
A2In Spanish, the 'i' always sounds like the 'ee' in the English word 'see'.
Para escribir mi nombre, necesitas una 'i' y dos 'a'.
B1To write my name, you need an 'i' and two 'a's.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "i" in Spanish:
i→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: i
Question 1 of 1
How would you ask someone to spell a word with the letter 'i' in it?
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📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Greek letter 'iota' (Ι, ι), which itself came from the Phoenician letter 'Yōd'. It has represented the 'ee' sound for thousands of years across many languages.
First recorded: Ancient Rome (as part of the Latin alphabet)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'i' and 'y' in Spanish?
The letter 'i' (called 'i latina') is always a vowel with a pure 'ee' sound. The letter 'y' (called 'i griega' or 'ye') can act as a vowel sounding like 'i' (like in the word 'y' for 'and'), or as a consonant sounding like the 'y' in 'yes' (like in the word 'yo').
Is 'i' ever used to mean 'and'?
No, never. The word for 'and' is 'y' (e.g., 'perros y gatos'). That 'y' changes to an 'e' if the next word starts with an 'i-' or 'hi-' sound (e.g., 'padre e hijo'), but the letter 'i' itself is never used as a word for 'and'.