orthography

/ɔrˈθɑgrəfi/

/ɔˈθɒgrəfi/

Other forms: orthographies

If you speak English — and you probably do if you're reading this — an orthography or writing system of "A, B, C, D..." makes sense. The Serbian language uses a different orthography: "A B C Č Ć D Dž Đ..."

From Greek orthographia, meaning "correct writing," an orthography is a way to represent words by having set ways to spell and write them. Orthography helps you identify words so you can figure out their meanings. Different languages usually have different systems of orthography, and even subsets of language, like text-messaging lingo, have a sort of orthography.

Definitions of orthography

1. noun

   a method of representing the sounds of a language by written or printed symbols
   synonyms: writing system

   examples:

   Linear A

   an undeciphered writing system used in Crete in the 17th century B.C.

   types:

   script

   a particular orthography or writing system

   spelling

   forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

   picture writing

   a writing system using pictographs

   alphabetic script, alphabetic writing

   a writing system based on alphabetic characters

   boustrophedon

   an ancient writing system: having alternate lines written in opposite directions; literally `as the ox ploughs'

   ideography

   the use of ideograms in writing

   hieroglyph, hieroglyphic

   a writing system using picture symbols; used in ancient Egypt

   point system

   a system of writing or printing using patterns of raised dots that can be read by touch

   Aramaic, Aramaic script

   an alphabetical (or perhaps syllabic) script used since the 9th century BC to write the Aramaic language; many other scripts were subsequently derived from it

   Avestan

   the script in which the ancient Persian language of the Avesta is written

   Brahmi

   a script (probably adapted from the Aramaic about the 7th century BC) from which later Indian scripts developed

   Devanagari, Devanagari script, Nagari, Nagari script

   a syllabic script used in writing Sanskrit and Hindi

   Pahlavi

   the script (derived from the Aramaic alphabet) used to write the Pahlavi language

   Uighur, Uigur, Uygur

   the script (derived from Aramaic) used to write the Uighur language

   uncial

   a style of orthography characterized by somewhat rounded capital letters; found especially in Greek and Latin manuscripts of the 4th to 8th centuries

   misspelling

   a spelling that is incorrect

   cuneiform

   an ancient wedge-shaped script used in Mesopotamia and Persia

   syllabary, syllabic script

   a writing system whose characters represent syllables

   hieratic, hieratic script

   a cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphics; used especially by the priests

   braille

   a point system of writing in which patterns of raised dots represent letters and numerals

   alphabet

   a character set that includes letters and is used to write a language

   type of:

   writing

   letters or symbols that are written or imprinted on a surface to represent the sounds or words of a language