tittle

Tittle is a typographic term for the small dot above the lowercase letters i and j in Latin-script text. It is the diacritic element that helps distinguish i from l in many fonts, and, in most typefaces, the letter j is also dotted. The tittle is most commonly discussed in the context of print and digital typography, where its presence or absence can affect legibility and letterform design.

The etymology of tittle is not completely clear. The word appears in English typography from earlier centuries and is generally treated as a distinct term from title, despite the similarity in spelling. Some sources trace the origin to Old English forms such as titel or tittil, but the precise lineage remains uncertain.

A related usage occurs in the Bible and other writings through the phrase jot and tittle, which denotes the smallest possible details. In that context, tittle refers to tiny strokes or marks in Hebrew script, used figuratively to mean an imperceptible or precise detail that should not be altered.

In modern typography, tittles are typically rendered as an integral part of the letterform, though their size and style can vary with different fonts and display needs. They continue to be a standard feature of most everyday typefaces, even as some decorative or minimalist designs experiment with reduced or stylized dots.