diff --git a/lisp/org-list.el b/lisp/org-list.el
index 86afe11..7a606f0 100644
--- a/lisp/org-list.el
+++ b/lisp/org-list.el
@@ -1022,7 +1022,8 @@ Possible types are `descriptive', `ordered' and `unordered'.  The
 type is determined by the first item of the list."
   (let ((first (org-list-get-list-begin item struct prevs)))
     (cond
-     ((string-match "[[:alnum:]]" (org-list-get-bullet first struct)) 'ordered)
+     ((string-match "[[:alpha:]]" (org-list-get-bullet first struct)) 'ordered-alpha)
+     ((string-match "[[:digit:]]" (org-list-get-bullet first struct)) 'ordered)
      ((org-list-get-tag first struct) 'descriptive)
      (t 'unordered))))
 
diff --git a/lisp/ox-html.el b/lisp/ox-html.el
index facd84c..b30c313 100644
--- a/lisp/ox-html.el
+++ b/lisp/ox-html.el
@@ -2387,7 +2387,7 @@ contextual information."
 	(br (org-html-close-tag "br" nil info)))
     (concat
      (case type
-       (ordered
+       ((ordered ordered-alpha)
 	(let* ((counter term-counter-id)
 	       (extra (if counter (format " value=\"%s\"" counter) "")))
 	  (concat
@@ -2409,7 +2409,7 @@ contextual information."
      (unless (eq type 'descriptive) checkbox)
      contents
      (case type
-       (ordered "</li>")
+       ((ordered ordered-alpha) "</li>")
        (unordered "</li>")
        (descriptive "</dd>")))))
 
@@ -2796,13 +2796,16 @@ lists."
     (ordered
      (format "<ol class=\"org-ol\"%s>"
 	     (if arg1 (format " start=\"%d\"" arg1) "")))
+    (ordered-alpha
+     (format "<ol type=\"a\" class=\"org-ol\"%s>"
+	     (if arg1 (format " start=\"%s\"" arg1) "")))
     (unordered "<ul class=\"org-ul\">")
     (descriptive "<dl class=\"org-dl\">")))
 
 (defun org-html-end-plain-list (type)
   "Insert the end of the HTML list depending on TYPE."
   (case type
-    (ordered "</ol>")
+    ((ordered ordered-alpha) "</ol>")
     (unordered "</ul>")
     (descriptive "</dl>")))