Cherokee Alphabet | ᏣᎳᎩ ᏐᏈᏎᏗ

The Cherokee syllabary consists of 85 characters representing syllables, created by Sequoyah in the early 19th century.

Ꭰ
A
a
Ꭱ
E
e
Ꭲ
I
i
Ꭳ
O
o
Ꭴ
U
u
Ꭵ
V
v
Ꭶ
Ga
ga
Ꭷ
Ka
ka
Ꭸ
Ge
ge
Ꭹ
Gi
gi
Ꭺ
Go
go
Ꭻ
Gu
gu
Ꭼ
Gv
gv
Ꭽ
Ha
ha
Ꭾ
He
he
Ꭿ
Hi
hi
Ꮀ
Ho
ho
Ꮁ
Hu
hu
Ꮂ
Hv
hv
Ꮃ
La
la
Ꮄ
Le
le
Ꮅ
Li
li
Ꮆ
Lo
lo
Ꮇ
Lu
lu
Ꮈ
Lv
lv
Ꮉ
Ma
ma
Ꮊ
Me
me
Ꮋ
Mi
mi
Ꮌ
Mo
mo
Ꮍ
Mu
mu
Ꮎ
Na
na
Ꮏ
Hna
hna
Ꮐ
Nah
nah
Ꮑ
Ne
ne
Ꮒ
Ni
ni
Ꮓ
No
no
Ꮔ
Nu
nu
Ꮕ
Nv
nv
Ꮖ
Qua
qua
Ꮗ
Que
que
Ꮘ
Qui
qui
Ꮙ
Quo
quo
Ꮚ
Quu
quu
Ꮛ
Quv
quv
Ꮜ
Sa
sa
Ꮝ
S
s
Ꮞ
Se
se
Ꮟ
Si
si
Ꮠ
So
so
Ꮡ
Su
su
Ꮢ
Sv
sv
Ꮣ
Da
da
Ꮤ
Ta
ta
Ꮥ
De
de
Ꮦ
Te
te
Ꮧ
Di
di
Ꮨ
Ti
ti
Ꮩ
Do
do
Ꮪ
Du
du
Ꮫ
Dv
dv
Ꮬ
Dla
dla
Ꮭ
Tla
tla
Ꮮ
Tle
tle
Ꮯ
Tli
tli
Ꮰ
Tlo
tlo
Ꮱ
Tlu
tlu
Ꮲ
Tlv
tlv
Ꮳ
Tsa
tsa
Ꮴ
Tse
tse
Ꮵ
Tsi
tsi
Ꮶ
Tso
tso
Ꮷ
Tsu
tsu
Ꮸ
Tsv
tsv
Ꮹ
Wa
wa
Ꮺ
We
we
Ꮻ
Wi
wi
Ꮼ
Wo
wo
Ꮽ
Wu
wu
Ꮾ
Wv
wv
Ꮿ
Ya
ya
Ᏸ
Ye
ye
Ᏹ
Yi
yi
Ᏺ
Yo
yo
Ᏻ
Yu
yu
Ᏼ
Yv
yv

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About the Cherokee Alphabet

The Cherokee syllabary is a writing system created by Sequoyah in the early 1820s. It consists of 85 characters, each representing a syllable rather than individual sounds. The syllabary enabled widespread Cherokee literacy within a few years of its introduction and is still used today by the Cherokee Nation.

History

Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith, created the syllabary between 1809 and 1821 without prior literacy in any language. After demonstrating its effectiveness, the syllabary was officially adopted by the Cherokee Nation in 1825. It led to rapid literacy rates and the publication of newspapers and books in Cherokee. The syllabary remains in use today.

Key Features

  • Written from left to right
  • 85 syllabic characters
  • Created by Sequoyah in 1820s
  • Syllabary not alphabet
  • Enabled rapid Cherokee literacy
  • Still in use today