Omniglot
An encyclopedia of writing systems and languages: alphabets, abjads, syllabaries, undeciphered and invented scripts, plus phrases in hundreds of languages.
What it is
Omniglot is an online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages that Simon Ager has been building since 1998. Its core is a catalogue of scripts sorted by type: alphabets, abjads (consonant-only scripts), abugidas, syllabaries, semanto-phonetic systems, alternative scripts and undeciphered ones. A separate section gathers constructed scripts — for natural and invented languages, plus tactile, colour-based, fictional and "magical" ones. On top of that come language profiles, language families and a huge set of multilingual pages: useful and silly phrases, numbers, colours, family words, weather, idioms and more.
Why we picked it
The site looks a little old-fashioned, and that's part of its charm: it's decades of patient work by one enthusiast rather than churned-out content. Each script page has a chart of characters, some history and sample text. In one evening you can work out how the Georgian alphabet differs from the Armenian one, how Devanagari fits together, or why Linear A still can't be read. The phrase pages double as travel cheat sheets, covering everything from "thank you" to "my hovercraft is full of eels" in dozens of languages.
Where to start
- Alphabets — pick a script you've never seen and study its chart.
- Undeciphered scripts — the ancient writing systems nobody can read yet.
- Constructed scripts: Fictional — scripts from books, films and games.
- Useful phrases — the basics in the language you're learning.
- Index by writing direction — scripts that run right to left, top to bottom and beyond.
Who it's for
Language learners and armchair polyglots. Type designers and letterers who need accurate character shapes. Writers and game designers building their own worlds and languages. Curious students wondering why people around the world write so differently.
Quick answers
Who runs Omniglot? Simon Ager, who explains the site's history and his own background on the About page.
Is it free? Yes, everything is open without an account; the site is funded by advertising and affiliate programmes.
Can I submit my own invented script? Yes — the constructed scripts section has a page explaining how to submit one.
