# iota

> English word · Noun · IPA /aɪˈəʊtə/ · frequency rank #30,103

## Definitions
1. The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ι, ι).
2. The Latin letter Ɩ (minuscule: ɩ).
3. A jot; a very small, insignificant quantity.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἰῶτα (iôta), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *yad- (“hand”). Doublet of jot and yodh.
Sense “jot, small quantity” in reference to a phrase in the New Testament: ”one iote or one title, shall in no wise passe from the law”, iota being the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet.

## Easily confused with
- **it** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-it)
- **its** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-its)
- **IRA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-ira)
- **ISA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-isa)
- **IPA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-ipa)
- **itt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-itt)
- **ITC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-itc)
- **ith** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-ith)
- **Iowa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-iowa)
- **issa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-issa)
- **Isla** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-isla)
- **Irma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-irma)
- **itty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-itty)
- **isha** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iota-vs-isha)
- **IA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ia-vs-iota)
- **io** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/io-vs-iota)
- **ion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ion-vs-iota)
- **iOS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ios-vs-iota)
- **int** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/int-vs-iota)
- **Ida** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ida-vs-iota)

## Common misspellings (4)
`ioat`, `iotta`, `itoa`, `oita`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/iota