I can't think of an English word which begins and ends with the letter I; can YOU? (Unless you count the word I itself! It wouldn't be allowed under the rules of my new puzzles, but you've got to admit that I does begin with an I & end with one too!)
by 
Owl Zero
ANSWERS: 6
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Isthmi, the plural of isthmus.
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Infiniti
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Illuminati
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Ilii (see also Ilium)
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Indi?
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intermezzi (damn, not English) imperii intagli israeli incubi isthmi iambi iraqi issei http://www.ojohaven.com/fun/crossword.html lets you play with the holes in crossword puzzles. I think that the word Israeli could only have been used since 1948, so I'd nominate that as an "English" word, even though Israel comes from the Hebrew "yisra el" (he that strives with God according to my OED) I'd make a similar claim for Iraqi The OED counts iambi as anglicised latin from greek, as it does isthmus, Incubus is Middle English from latin though. OED says that intagli is the wrong plural in English, and I can't find Imperii in the dictionary, but all the empire based words come from the original latin. Given that English takes from Indo European languages that preceded Middle English, and after that absorbs "non-English" words like pyjamas, I'd say that Incubi (Male demons believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women) could be considered an English plural word. I'd also pitch Israeli and Iraqi. I've never heard of the "peoplw of Israel" described as Israelis before 1948. Good Question!
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