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13 Fictional Writing Systems You Can Actually Read

Some fictional alphabets simply encode English; others belong to constructed languages. Here are 13 systems you can decode or study, with the caveats that make them make sense.
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You can decode or reproduce symbols from all 13 systems below, but “read” means different things in each case. Some are ways to write English, some require an encoding rule, and some are scripts associated with fictional languages. A script is not automatically a language: recognizing what a symbol stands for is different from translating unfamiliar words or understanding grammar.

The list follows the 2009 account by Alasdair Wilkins, which counts three distinct Klingon scripts separately. Its franchise-specific descriptions should be read as that article’s account, not as independent confirmation of current canon.

What does “read” mean for a fictional language?

These examples fall along a spectrum. A transliteration alphabet substitutes symbols for familiar letters; an encoding changes letters according to a rule; a script records a separate constructed language; and sometimes a franchise has a language as well as a writing system. The distinction matters: an alphabet chart may tell you which English letter a glyph represents, but it may not tell you what a sentence in a fictional language means.

The entries below identify what each system is said to do, how a reader would approach it, and where its status or interpretation needs qualification.

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The 13 systems at a glance

System What it represents How to read it Authority or caveat
Alienese I English Fixed letter substitution Fictional alphabet; no accompanying language is described
Alienese II English encoded by a changing rule Apply modular addition using sequence context A static substitution chart is insufficient
Ancient English-like phonetic writing Sound-oriented symbols; account describes base-eight numerals Details reflect the 2009 article’s description
Ath / Baronh Baronh Learn the script associated with the fictional language Article describes kana influence
Interlac United Planets’ constructed language Distinguish the language from its standardized alphabet Used in Legion of Super-Heroes stories
Klingon pIqaD mapping Proposed Klingon glyph-to-letter mapping Use the circulated mapping cautiously Correspondences described as unofficial
Klingon production script Production lettering for Star Trek Interpret a compact symbol set with ambiguous values Ten symbols for 26 phonetic values, as described in the article
Klinzhai Earlier Klingon-related concept-art script Do not assume a clean mapping to modern Klingon sounds Predates Marc Okrand’s developed Klingon language
Kryptonese Syllables Use the described 118-character syllabary Article calls the assembled exercise arbitrary
Kryptonian English letters Transliterate with a 26-letter alphabet Readable samples are not proof of a fully translated language
Mandalorian / Mando’a Visual alphabet and, separately, Mando’a Separate the displayed alphabet from the language’s development Article connects a companion-volume alphabet with Karen Traviss’s language work
Marain Fictional language Learn its designed alphabet Article describes binary inspiration, a 3-by-3 circle grid, and 32 distinct symbols
Zentradi Fictional alphabet; fuller language in a follow-up film Read the television-series alphabet, distinguishing it from later language development As described in the 2009 article

Futurama: two kinds of Alienese

1. Alienese I

Alienese I is a 26-letter substitution alphabet for English. Once a reader has a stable glyph-to-letter key, a sign can be decoded much like a simple cipher. The 2009 article says the show did not create a separate accompanying Alienese language, so decoding a message is not translating from an alien vocabulary or grammar.

2. Alienese II

Alienese II is harder because the encoding is described as modular addition: the encoded symbol depends on the previous letter. That dependence on sequence means a fixed chart cannot by itself decode every character. A reader needs the rule and the position or preceding-letter context, then applies the rule through the message.

Other fictional scripts and languages

3. Ancient

The 2009 article describes the Stargate system as an English-like phonetic alphabet, with a merged representation for “f” and “u,” no punctuation symbols, and a base-eight number system. Those are details reported in that article; they should not be taken as independently reverified franchise canon. The useful distinction is that the system is presented as sound-oriented writing, not simply as an English letter-for-glyph chart.

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4. Ath / Baronh

In Crest of the Stars, Ath is the script associated with Baronh, a fictional language the article describes as based on ancient Japanese. It also says the alphabet has some basis in Japanese kana. This is therefore not just English written in decorative symbols: the writing system is attached to a separate language, even though a reader still needs more than an alphabet mapping to understand its words.

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5. Interlac

Interlac is described as the United Planets’ common constructed language in DC Comics, with a standardized alphabet used in Legion of Super-Heroes stories. Keep the two parts distinct: Interlac is the language, while its alphabet is the writing system used to represent it.

9. Kryptonese

Kryptonese is the list’s syllabary: the 2009 article describes a set of 118 characters, each representing a syllabic unit rather than one alphabetic letter. It says the set was assembled from historical comic glyphs and characterizes the exercise as arbitrary. That caveat is important: the existence of many symbols does not establish that they form a consistent, independently developed language.

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10. Kryptonian

The separate system called Kryptonian in the article is a 26-letter alphabet corresponding to English letters. A reader can transliterate an English sample by replacing its letters, but that does not show that the sample has been translated into a complete Kryptonian language.

11. Mandalorian / Mando’a

The article links a visual alphabet shown in a companion volume to Karen Traviss’s development of Mando’a as a language. Those are related but distinct claims: a visible alphabet can be reproduced or used to render text, while reading Mando’a as a language requires knowing its words and structure.

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12. Marain

Marain, from Iain M. Banks’s Culture setting, is described as a fictional language with a designed alphabet inspired by binary and a 3-by-3 grid of circles. The article says the displayed set has 32 distinct symbols. The design description helps explain the script’s visual logic, but the symbols alone are not a substitute for learning the language.

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13. Zentradi

The 2009 article describes an alphabet created for the television series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, followed by a fuller language for the sequel film. This is another case where a viewer should distinguish a readable-looking script from the broader language associated with a later work.

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Why Klingon appears three times

The three entries are not three names for one universally accepted Klingon alphabet. The article distinguishes an enthusiast-circulated mapping, lettering developed for production, and an earlier concept-art script. Their different origins make it risky to treat a glyph chart for one as authoritative for all Klingon writing.

6. Klingon pIqaD mapping

This entry concerns a proposed mapping between pIqaD glyphs and letters. The 2009 article cautions that the proposed correspondences circulated among enthusiasts and are not official. It can be useful for reproducing or decoding examples based on that mapping, but it should not be presented as a settled canonical alphabet.

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7. Klingon production script

A different system was developed for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and later production use. The article describes ten symbols serving 26 phonetic values, which makes the system ambiguous: a glyph does not necessarily identify one unique sound or letter. This is production lettering, not an uncomplicated one-symbol-per-letter key.

8. Klinzhai

Klinzhai is based on earlier concept art and material. Because it predates Marc Okrand’s developed Klingon language, the article warns that mapping it cleanly to modern Klingon sounds is difficult. Its value is as a distinct piece of the franchise’s visual history, rather than as a dependable spelling system for modern Klingon.

Which system should you try first?

  • For quick symbol decoding: start with Alienese I or Kryptonian, both described as English-letter substitutions.
  • For a puzzle: try Alienese II, where decoding depends on applying a rule through the sequence rather than consulting a static alphabet alone.
  • For studying an actual constructed language: focus on systems associated with languages, such as Baronh, Interlac, Marain, or Klingon, and look for vocabulary and grammar as well as a script.
  • For Klingon specifically: decide whether you want to learn the language or interpret a particular visual alphabet. The three Klingon entries have different levels and kinds of authority.

For readers who want to study Klingon rather than just its lettering, the Klingon Language Institute identifies The Klingon Dictionary by Marc Okrand as a primary language resource; it says the book’s first half describes grammar and the second half gives vocabulary in English-to-Klingon and Klingon-to-English order. Simon & Schuster also describes the book as an official guide to Klingon words and phrases, with grammar, pronunciation guidance, vocabulary, and phrases: publisher book page. The institute’s Klingon lessons and resources include lessons and member resources such as fonts and certification preparation.

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