Cyrillic small letter yo

It spells a stressed “yo” sound, or o after a softened consonant. In ёж (“hedgehog”), the word starts with a y-like sound; in мёд (“honey”), the м is softened before o. Russian ё also marks the stressed syllable.

Earlier spellings used longer combinations, including іо and ьо. A proposal associated with Princess Dashkova dates to 1783. Dmitriev’s book of 1795 is sometimes called the first printed example, but that claim is disputed; the dotted form is securely attested in 1797, when writer Karamzin helped popularize it.

Why is ё written without its dots?

Ordinary Russian prose often uses е where ё is meant. Readers usually work out the sound from context, but the dots can distinguish words or make a name’s pronunciation clear.

The 1956 spelling rules call for consistent ё in dictionaries, learning materials, and books for young children. That is why Russian learners may see every dot while ordinary prose often leaves them out.

A 2011 discussion recorded advocates who treated consistent dotting as a language-and-identity position. A dotted message alone does not tell you the sender’s motive; first read it as clear spelling.