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{{Short description|
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}{{About|the letter of the alphabet}}
{{Distinguish|ǀ|}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
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|script=[[Latin script]]
|type=[[Alphabet]]
|typedesc=ic and [[
|language=[[Latin language]]
|phonemes={{grid list|[{{IPAlink|l}}]
|unicode=U+004C, U+006C
|alphanumber=12
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|fam7=[[Lambda|Λ λ]]
|fam8=[[𐌋]]
|usageperiod=~
|children={{
|sisters={{grid list|[[Л]]
|equivalents=
|associates=[[List of Latin-script digraphs#L|l(x)]], [[Lj (digraph)|lj]], [[ll]], [[Hungarian ly|ly]]
|direction=Left-to-
|image=File:Latin_letter_L.svg}}
}}▼
{{Latin letter info|l}}
'''L''', or '''l''', is the twelfth [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]]
==History==
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|-
! Egyptian [[hieroglyph]]
! Phoenician<br/>
! Western Greek<br/>[[Lambda]]
!
!
|--- align=center
|<hiero>S39</hiero>
| [[File:PhoenicianL-01.svg|x25px]]
| [[File:Greek Lambda 09.svg|x35px]]
| [[File:EtruscanL-01.svg|x25px]]
| [[File:
|}
Lamedh may have come from a pictogram of an ox [[goad]] or [[cattle prod]]. Some have suggested that it represents a shepherd's staff.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/3_lam.html|title = Ancient Hebrew Research Center|access-date = 12 January 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150103100530/http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/3_lam.html|archive-date = 3 January 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>
{{anchor|ℓ}}
{{redirect|ℓ|the azimuthal quantum number|Azimuthal quantum number}}▼
<!-- Serif l, sans-serif l and cursive ℓ are [[allograph]]s of the grapheme ⟨l⟩ so the {{char}} template has been chosen to isolate them for inspection (xref [[Use mention distinction]]). Note that the angle-bracket notation (⟨...⟩) is used to denote a [[grapheme]]
-->▼
In most [[sans-serif]] typefaces, the lowercase letter ''ell'' {{angbr|l}}, written
Another means of reducing such confusion is to use symbol {{char|ℓ}}, which is a [[cursive]], handwriting-style lowercase form of the letter "ell". In Japan and Korea, for example, this is the symbol for the [[Litre|liter]]. (The [[International Committee for Weights and Measures]] recommends using {{char|{{serif|L}}}} or {{char|{{serif|l}}}} for the liter,<ref name="BIPM2006-brochure" /> without specifying a typeface.) In [[Unicode]], the cursive form is encoded as {{Unichar|2113|SCRIPT SMALL L}} from the "[[Letterlike Symbols (Unicode block)|letter-like symbols]]" block. Unicode encodes an explicit symbol as {{Unichar|1D4C1|MATHEMATICAL SCRIPT SMALL L}}.<ref>[https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode15.1.0/ch22.pdf The Unicode Standard, Version 15.0, Chapter 22]</ref> The [[TeX]] syntax <span style="font-family:monospace"><nowiki><math>\ell</math></nowiki></span> renders it as <math>\ell</math>. In mathematical formulas, an italic form (''{{char|ℓ}}'') of the script ℓ is the norm.
==Use in writing systems==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+ Pronunciation of {{angbr|l}} by language
! Orthography
! Phonemes
|-
! {{nwr|[[Standard Chinese]]}} ([[Pinyin]])
| {{IPAslink|l}}
|-
! [[English orthography|English]]
| {{IPAslink|l}}, ''silent''
|-
! [[French orthography|French]]
| {{IPAslink|l}}, ''silent''
|-
! [[German orthography|German]]
| {{IPAslink|l}}
|-
! [[Portuguese orthography|Portuguese]]
| {{IPAslink|l}}
|-
! [[Spanish orthography|Spanish]]
| {{IPAslink|l}}
|-
! [[Turkish alphabet|Turkish]]
| {{IPAslink|l}}, {{IPAslink|ɫ}}
===English===
In [[English orthography]], {{angbr|l}} usually represents the phoneme {{IPAc-en|l}}, which can have several sound values, depending on the speaker's accent, and whether it occurs before or after a vowel.
In English orthography, {{angbr|l}} is often silent in such words as ''walk'' or ''could'' (though its presence can modify the preceding vowel letter's value), and it is usually silent in such words as ''palm'' and ''psalm''; however, there is some regional variation. L is the [[Letter frequency|eleventh most frequently used letter]] in the English language.
===Other languages===
{{angbr|l}} usually represents the sound {{IPA|[l]}} or some other [[lateral consonant]]. Common digraphs include {{angbr|ll}}, which has a value identical to {{angbr|l}} in English, but has the separate value [[voiceless alveolar lateral fricative]] (IPA {{IPA|[ɬ]}}) in [[Welsh language|Welsh]], where it can appear in an initial position. In Spanish, {{angbr|ll}} represents {{IPA|/ʎ/}} ({{IPA|[ʎ]}}, {{IPA|[j]}}, {{IPA|[ʝ]}}, {{IPA|[ɟʝ]}}, or {{IPA|[ʃ]}}, depending on dialect).▼
▲Common digraphs include {{angbr|ll}}, which has a value identical to {{angbr|l}} in English, but has the separate value [[voiceless alveolar lateral fricative]] (IPA {{IPA|[ɬ]}}) in [[Welsh language|Welsh]], where it can appear in an initial position. In Spanish, {{angbr|ll}} represents [ʎ], [j], [ʝ], [ɟʝ], or [ʃ], depending on dialect.
A [[palatal lateral approximant]] or palatal {{angbr|l}} (IPA {{IPA|[ʎ]}}) occurs in many languages, and is represented by {{angbr|gli}} in [[Italian language|Italian]], {{angbr|ll}} in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Catalan language|Catalan]], {{angbr|lh}} in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], and {{angbr|ļ}} in [[Latvian language|Latvian]].
In [[Turkish language|Turkish]], {{angbr|l}} generally represents {{IPAslink|l}}, but represents {{IPAslink|ɫ}} before {{angbr|a}}, {{angbr|ı}}, {{angbr|o}}, or {{angbr|u}}.
In [[Washo language|Washo]], lower-case {{angbr|l}} represents a typical [l] sound, while upper-case {{angbr|L}} represents a [[Voicelessness|voiceless]] [l̥] sound, a bit like double {{angbr|ll}} in [[Welsh language|Welsh]].
===Other systems===
The [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] uses {{angbr IPA|l}} to represent the [[voiced alveolar lateral approximant]] and a [[small caps|small cap]] {{angbr IPA|ʟ}} to represent the [[voiced velar lateral approximant]].
==Other uses==
{{main article|L (disambiguation)}}
* The capital letter L is used as the [[currency sign]] for the [[Albanian lek]] and the [[Honduran lempira]]. It was often used, especially in handwriting, as the currency sign for the [[Italian lira]]. Historically, it was commonly used as a currency sign for the British [[pound sterling]] (to abbreviate the Latin {{lang|la|[[Carolingian pound|libra]]}}, a pound, see [[£sd]]); in modern usage, it has been overtaken by the [[pound sign]] (£), which is based on the
* The [[Roman numeral]] L represents the number [[50 (number)|50]].<ref name="Gordon">{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedintro0000gord | url-access=registration | quote=roman numerals. | title=Illustrated Introduction to Latin Epigraphy | publisher=University of California Press | date=1983 | access-date=3 October 2015 | author=Gordon, Arthur E. | pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedintro0000gord/page/44 44]| isbn=9780520038981 }}</ref>
* In the [[International system of units]], the [[liter]] (or litre) is abbreviated using an upper-case (or a lower-case) L.<ref name="BIPM2006-brochure">{{cite web|url=https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/41483022/SI-Brochure-9-EN.pdf |title=The International System of Units (SI) {{!}} The SI brochure, 9th edition, 2019 |access-date=23 July 2023 |date=December 2022 |quote= {{serif|The litre, and the symbol lower-case l, were adopted by the CIPM in 1879 (PV, 1879, 41). The alternative symbol, capital L, was adopted by the 16th CGPM (1979, Resolution 6; CR, 101 and Metrologia, 1980, 16, 56-57) in order to avoid the risk of confusion between the letter l (el) and the numeral 1 (one). }}}}</ref> ▼
* In watchmaking, the [[ligne]] (a traditional French measure of length still used in
▲In the [[International system of units]], the [[liter]] (or litre) is abbreviated using an upper-case (or a lower-case) L.<ref name="BIPM2006-brochure">{{cite web|url=https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/41483022/SI-Brochure-9-EN.pdf |title=The International System of Units (SI) {{!}} The SI brochure, 9th edition, 2019 |access-date=23 July 2023 |date=December 2022 |quote= {{serif|The litre, and the symbol lower-case l, were adopted by the CIPM in 1879 (PV, 1879, 41). The alternative symbol, capital L, was adopted by the 16th CGPM (1979, Resolution 6; CR, 101 and Metrologia, 1980, 16, 56-57) in order to avoid the risk of confusion between the letter l (el) and the numeral 1 (one). }}}}</ref>
* In chemistry, L is used as a symbol for the [[Avogadro constant]].<ref name=iupac1996>H. P. Lehmann, X. Fuentes-Arderiu, and L. F. Bertello (1996): "Glossary of terms in quantities and units in Clinical Chemistry (IUPAC-IFCC Recommendations 1996)"; page 963, item "[https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/A00543 Avogadro constant]". ''Pure and Applied Chemistry'', volume 68, issue 4, pages 957–1000. {{doi|10.1351/pac199668040957}}</ref>▼
▲In watchmaking, the [[ligne]] (a traditional French measure of length still used in that industry) is abbreviated using an upper-case L.<ref name=Swiss>{{cite web |title=Foire aux questions sur l'horlogerie et les montres |trans-title=Frequently asked questions about watches and clocks |language=fr |url=http://www.horlogerie-suisse.com/horlomag/articles-horlogers/00199/foire-aux-questions-sur-l-horlogerie-et-les-montres |accessdate=2022-01-18 |website=horlogerie-suisse.com |quote={{lang|fr|Par tradition ancestrale, les horlogers n’utilisent pas le millimètre mais la ligne pour désigner le diamètre d'encageage d'un mouvement.}} |trans-quote=By ancestral tradition, watchmakers do not use the millimeter but the line to designate the casing diameter of a movement |archive-date=2022-01-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121164847/http://www.horlogerie-suisse.com/horlomag/articles-horlogers/00199/foire-aux-questions-sur-l-horlogerie-et-les-montres |url-status=dead }}</ref>
▲In chemistry, L is used as a symbol for the [[Avogadro constant]].<ref name=iupac1996>H. P. Lehmann, X. Fuentes-Arderiu, and L. F. Bertello (1996): "Glossary of terms in quantities and units in Clinical Chemistry (IUPAC-IFCC Recommendations 1996)"; page 963, item "[https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/A00543 Avogadro constant]". ''Pure and Applied Chemistry'', volume 68, issue 4, pages 957–1000. {{doi|10.1351/pac199668040957}}</ref>
▲==Forms and variants==
▲{{redirect|ℓ|the azimuthal quantum number|Azimuthal quantum number}}
▲<!-- Serif l, sans-serif l and cursive ℓ are [[allograph]]s of the grapheme ⟨l⟩ so the {{char}} template has been chosen to isolate them for inspection (xref [[Use mention distinction]]). Note that the angle-bracket notation (⟨...⟩) is used to denote a [[grapheme]], in this case the letter l, however written: it should not be used to denote a [[glyph]]. See also [[International Phonetic Alphabet#Brackets and transcription delimiters]].
▲-->
▲In most [[sans-serif]] typefaces, the lowercase letter ''ell'' {{angbr|l}}, written {{char|{{Sans-serif|l}}}}, may be difficult to distinguish from the uppercase letter "eye" {{angbr|[[I]]}}; in some [[serif]] typefaces, the [[glyph]] {{char|{{Serif|l}}}} may be confused with the glyph {{char|1}}, the digit ''[[1 (number)|one]]''. To avoid such confusion, some newer computer fonts (such as [[Trebuchet MS]]) have a [[finial (typography)|finial]], a curve to the right at the bottom of the lowercase letter ''ell''.
==Related characters==
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*[[International Phonetic Alphabet#Superscript IPA|IPA superscript symbols]] related to L:<ref name="L220252">{{Cite web|title=L2/20-252R: Unicode request for IPA modifier-letters (a), pulmonic|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20252r-mod-ipa-a.pdf|date=2020-11-08|first1=Kirk|last1=Miller|first2=Michael|last2=Ashby}}</ref> [[𐞛]] [[𐞜]]
*[[Extensions to the International Phonetic Alphabet|Extensions to IPA]] for disordered speech (extIPA):<ref name="L220116">{{Cite web|title=L2/20-116R: Expansion of the extIPA and VoQS|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20116r-ext-ipa-voqs-expansion.pdf|date=2020-07-11|first1=Kirk|last1=Miller|first2=Martin|last2=Ball}}</ref><ref name="L221021">{{Cite web|title=L2/21-021: Reference doc numbers for L2/20-266R "Consolidated code chart of proposed phonetic characters" and IPA etc. code point and name changes|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2021/21021-consolidated-ipa.pdf|date=2020-12-07|first=Deborah|last=Anderson}}</ref> [[𝼄]] [[𐞝]]
*[[Uralic Phonetic Alphabet]]-specific symbols related to L:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2002/02141-n2419-uralic-phonetic.pdf|title=L2/02-141: Uralic Phonetic Alphabet characters for the UCS|date=2002-03-20|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|author-link1=Michael Everson|display-authors=etal}}</ref>
**{{Unichar|1D0C|LATIN LETTER SMALL CAPITAL L WITH STROKE}} **{{Unichar|1D38|MODIFIER LETTER CAPITAL L}} *ₗ : Subscript small l was used in the Uralic Phonetic Alphabet prior to its formal standardization in 1902<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2009/09028-n3571-upa-additions.pdf|title=L2/09-028: Proposal to encode additional characters for the Uralic Phonetic Alphabet|date=2009-01-27|first1=Klaas|last1=Ruppel|first2=Tero|last2=Aalto|first3=Michael|last3=Everson}}</ref>
*[[ȴ]] : L with curl is used in Sino-Tibetanist linguistics<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2001/01347-n2366r.pdf|title=L2/01-347: Proposal to add six phonetic characters to the UCS|date=2001-09-20|first1=Richard|last1=Cook|first2=Michael|last2=Everson}}</ref>
*Ꞁ ꞁ : Turned L was used by [[William Pryce]] to designate the Welsh voiced lateral spirant [ɬ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2006/06266-n3122-insular.pdf|title=L2/06-266: Proposal to add Latin letters and a Greek symbol to the UCS|date=2006-08-06|first=Michael|last=Everson}}</ref> The lower case is also used in the [[Romic alphabet]]. In Unicode, these are {{unichar|A780|latin capital letter turned l}}
*𝼦 : Small letter l with mid-height left hook was used by the [[British and Foreign Bible Society]] in the early 20th century for [[romanization]] of the [[Malayalam]] language.<ref name="L221156">{{Cite web|title=L2/21-156: Unicode request for legacy Malayalam|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2021/21156-legacy-malayalam.pdf|date=2021-07-16|first1=Kirk|last1=Miller|first2=Neil|last2=Rees}}</ref>
*Other variations are used for phonetic transcription: [[ᶅ]]<ref name="L204132">{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04132-n2740-phonetic.pdf|title=L2/04-132 Proposal to add additional phonetic characters to the UCS|date=2004-04-19|first=Peter|last=Constable}}</ref> [[ᶩ]]<ref name="L204132" /> [[ᶪ]]<ref name="L204132" /> [[ᶫ]]<ref name="L204132" /> 𝼑<ref name="L220125">{{Cite web|title=L2/20-125R: Unicode request for expected IPA retroflex letters and similar letters with hooks|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20125r-ipa-retroflex.pdf|date=2020-07-11|first=Kirk|last=Miller}}</ref><ref name="L221021" /> 𝼓<ref name="L220125" /><ref name="L221021" />
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===Derived signs, symbols and abbreviations===
*ℒ
*ℓ : mathematical symbol 'ell'; liter (traditional symbol)<ref>https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U2100.pdf#page=3</ref>
*£ : [[pound sign]]
*Ꝉ ꝉ : Forms of L were used for medieval [[scribal abbreviation]]s<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2006/06027-n3027-medieval.pdf|title=L2/06-027: Proposal to add Medievalist characters to the UCS|date=2006-01-30|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|first2=Peter|last2=Baker|first3=António|last3=Emiliano|first4=Florian|last4=Grammel|first5=Odd Einar|last5=Haugen|first6=Diana|last6=Luft|first7=Susana|last7=Pedro|first8=Gerd|last8=Schumacher|first9=Andreas|last9=Stötzner}}</ref>
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{{anchor|Codes for computing}}
==Other representations==
===Computing <span class="anchor" id="Computing codes"></span>===
The Latin letters {{angbr|L}} and {{angbr|l}} have [[Unicode]] encodings {{unichar|004C}} and {{unichar|006C}}. These are the same [[code point]]s as those used in [[ASCII]] and [[ISO 8859]]. There are also [[precomposed character]] encodings for {{angbr|L}} and {{angbr|l}} with diacritics, for most of those listed [[#Related characters|above]]; the remainder are produced using [[combining diacritic]]s.
Variant forms of the letter have unique code points for specialist use: the [[Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols|alphanumeric symbols set]] in mathematics and science, and [[halfwidth and fullwidth forms]] for legacy [[CJK characters|CJK]] font compatibility.
===Other===
{{Letter other reps
|NATO=Lima
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==Notes==
{{
== References ==
|