Is 'И' Really the 10Th Letter? Fact-Checking the Russian Alphabet Sequence
By Marcus Vance
Q1: Is "И" universally recognized as the 10th letter in Russian schools?
Yes. Every accredited Russian elementary school textbook and standardized curriculum (FGOS) teaches the alphabet with 33 letters, placing И at position 10 and З at position 9.
Q2: Why do some older Russian dictionaries place words starting with Ё inside the E section?
Many 20th-century print dictionaries merged headwords starting with Ё into the Е chapter to save layout space and avoid printing thin, single-page sections. This was a typographic convenience, not an official removal of Ё from the alphabet.
Q3: Which letter is the 10th consonant in the Russian alphabet?
The 10th consonant is Н (En). Consonants run in order: Б (1), В (2), Г (3), Д (4), Ж (5), З (6), К (7), Л (8), М (9), and Н (10), because А, Е, Ё, and И are vowels.
Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.
