J

is the tenth letter, and the seventh of the consonant letters, of the English alphabet, to which it has been added in modern days, the letter i being written formerly in words where j is now used. It seems to have had the sound of y in many words, as it still has in the German. The English sound of this letter, which is precisely the same as that of g soft, as in genius, may be very nearly expressed by dzh. See Principles of Pronunciation, § 77. In form, the letter j was originally identical with that of i, and the distinction between them (introduced by Dutch printers) is of recent date. This distinction is not observed in medical prescriptions, it being the practice of physicians, when the symbol for unity ends a series of numerals, to write j instead of i; as, vj, vij, viij, &c.