Shavian vs. IPA: When to Use Each for Linguistic Analysis
Shavian offers a perfectly regular phonetic spelling system for English, while IPA provides a universal phonetic notation. Learn when to use each, how to…
Read article48 letters One sound at a time
English sounds,
written clearly.
Meet Shavian: a phonemic alphabet built for English. Learn its shapes, convert familiar words, and start reading a different way.
- 48purpose-built letters
- 0capital letters
- U+10450Unicode ready
Conventional English
Hello, world.
same sounds
Shavian
𐑣𐑩𐑤𐑴, 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛.
𐑱
𐑤
𐑯
Learn it. Type it. Use it.
Four tools, one clear path.
Go from first contact to fluent recall without installing anything. Every tool works in your browser and on mobile.
01Open tool →
02Open chart →
03Start typing →
04Start a quiz →
EnglishHello→𐑣𐑩𐑤𐑴
Convert
Shavian Translator
Turn conventional English into phonemic Shavian text.𐑖/ʃ/ · Sure
Explore
Interactive Alphabet
Meet every glyph, sound, name, and letter pair.𐑐𐑰𐑐
Compose
On-Screen Keyboard
Type, copy, and download Shavian Unicode anywhere.𐑔
Practice
Flashcards & Quiz
Train sound recall, spelling, pairs, and reading speed.Your first ten minutes
Start with shapes.
Finish with words.
Shavian looks unfamiliar only at first. Its visual system becomes much easier when you learn related letters together, then immediately use them in short words.
- 01
Meet the letter families
See tall, deep, short, and compound forms as a coherent system.
- 02
Connect shape to sound
Use IPA, names, and example words to make each form memorable.
- 03
Read something real
Move from letters to words, short sentences, and timed passages.
Read and understand
Guides for curious minds.
Clear explanations about spelling, design, history, and everyday use.
Browse all articlesEmbedding Shavian Text in PDFs for Academic Publishing
Learn how to embed Shavian script into PDFs, convert English to Shavian, type with Unicode, and use ShawAlphabet.com tools for academic publishing.
Read articleShavian in Speech Recognition: Challenges and Opportunities
Shavian, George Bernard Shaw’s phonetic alphabet, offers a one‑to‑one mapping of English sounds that can dramatically improve speech‑recognition accuracy. This guide explores its history,…
Read articleHow to Build a Shavian Keyboard Layout for Raspberry Pi
Learn how to create a Shavian keyboard layout on Raspberry Pi, transliterate English to the 48‑letter phonetic alphabet, and use ShawAlphabet.com tools to practice…
Read articleWhat Are the Best Practices for Embedding Shavian Fonts in Mobile Apps?
Learn how to embed Shavian fonts in Android and iOS apps, convert English to the 48‑letter phonetic script, and use ShawAlphabet.com tools for seamless…
Read articleTroubleshooting Missing Shavian Glyphs on Webpages: A Step‑by‑Step Fix
Learn how to fix missing Shavian glyphs on webpages with our beginner guide, covering font installation, Unicode checks, and practical conversion tools.
Read articleChoose your route
Browse by topic.
0113 articles→
0238 articles→
0313 articles→
0410 articles→
056 articles→
066 articles→
Beginner Guide
A step-by-step introduction to the Shavian alphabet.
Alphabet
Reference for the 48 Shavian letters, their names, and punctuation.
Spelling
Rules and patterns for converting English words into Shavian spelling.
History
The origins and development of the Shavian alphabet.
Comparisons
Side-by-side comparisons with other phonetic and spelling systems.
Keyboards
Keyboard layouts and input methods for Shavian.
Built for careful learning
Clear about what Shavian is—and what it isn’t.
Independent
An educational publication, not an official successor to any earlier project on this domain.
Technically precise
Our converter is presented as phonemic transcription—not translation of meaning.
Useful by design
139 articles and four browser-based tools connect reference with practice.
Ready when you are
Write your first line in Shavian.
No font installation, account, or setup required.