Deseret Small Letter Long E

It marks the vowel sound in “bait” or “grey”: /eɪ/.

The letter belongs to the Deseret alphabet, an English spelling reform developed in Utah. Brigham Young asked the University of Deseret’s regents to consider English reform in 1850; a distinct 38-letter design followed committee work involving George D. Watt in 1853. This lowercase form is part of that alphabet’s original system.

In the 1860s, the alphabet appeared in primers, newspaper pieces, and scripture. Related surviving material includes a coin, gravestones, signs, and a Hopi vocabulary. By the mid-20th century, interest had shifted toward historical study, regional pride, and experimental typography.

Why was the Deseret alphabet created?

It was designed to make English easier to learn.

Its goal was one character for each English sound, which its supporters thought could help children and immigrant converts learn to read. Leaders also connected shared spelling with a unified community. The committee first accepted Isaac Pitman’s phonotypy, a system for representing speech sounds, before choosing distinct Deseret letters. The University of Utah account says Watt likely also drew on Greek, Hebrew, and Phoenician forms.

In its original setting, 𐐩 marked a sound in written English. A single letter identifies the Deseret alphabet more clearly than it identifies a word.