The letter Ё can be written without dots, why? And what about Й?

You may have noticed that texts in Russian books, newspapers, and on the internet usually employ “е” instead of “ё.” Readers are expected to understand the words correctly based on their knowledge of the language. Why is there this discrimination against “ё”?

The letter “ё” is unique; unlike the other 32 letters of the Russian alphabet, its use is mandatory in some cases but not in others. Why is this so? To begin with, it is a relatively new symbol. Although the letter “ё” was first used in 1797, it was not considered an independent letter for a long time and was not officially included in the alphabet untill the end of the 19th centuary.

“Ё” has been a topic of discussion among linguists, ordinary users, and lawyers for decades. There are linguistic reasons as well as technical ones. When you type a text on your phone or computer, putting “ё” requires special efforts. For many people, it is easier to type “е” instead.

Considering all these factors, linguists proposed a middle ground: if the absence of “ё” could lead to a misunderstanding, we write this letter (“всё,” not “все”). If the absence of “ё” does not affect reading in any way (“ёжик/”ежик”), there is no need to write the letter “ё.”

However, the letter “ё” must be included in dictionaries, books for children, textbooks for primary school students, and materials for foreigners studying the Russian language. It is recommended to write “ё” in first names, surnames, and geographical names.

All of the above rules do not apply to the letter “й.” Under no circumstances should “й” be replaced with “и” in writing! Please remember this and write correctly.