·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯A better alphabet

Begin reading Shavian with four letters: 𐑦 (in), 𐑑 (tack), 𐑯 (now) and 𐑕 (saw).

Lesson 1 introduces their sounds and shapes, the difference between short and tall letters, and how to combine letters into words. Guided reading and writing practice helps you connect each shape with its sound; no alphabet memorisation needed before you begin.

Add four letters to your Shavian toolkit: 𐑰 (eve), 𐑥 (me), 𐑣 (who) and 𐑨 (add).

Lesson 2 compares 𐑦 with 𐑰, helps you distinguish the shapes of 𐑥 and 𐑯, and introduces deep letters alongside short and tall ones. Combine the new letters with those you already know to read short phrases and practise writing from sound.

Learn four more Shavian letters: 𐑲 (ice), 𐑩 (ago), 𐑒 (key) and 𐑚 (bell).

Lesson 3 introduces a moving vowel written with one letter, the unstressed vowel called schwa, and two more consonants. Build on familiar letters to read complete sentences, then practise recalling the sounds and shapes in short writing exercises.

Practise reading and writing messages with the twelve letters from Lessons 1–3. No new letters in this lesson.

Lesson 4 introduces two one-letter word signs: 𐑯 for “and” and 𐑑 for “to”, and the dot used before names. Put these conventions to work in short messages, reading for meaning and writing from dictation.

Meet four new Shavian letters: 𐑧 (edge), 𐑛 (down), 𐑤 (lamb) and 𐑟 (zoo).

Lesson 5 explores how changing one sound changes a word. Compare 𐑨 with 𐑧, discover the voiced and voiceless pairs 𐑑/𐑛 and 𐑕/𐑟, and see how Shavian follows spoken sounds rather than silent or doubled letters in ordinary spelling. Reinforce the new shapes through reading and writing practice.

Learn four more Shavian consonants: 𐑐 (pin), 𐑜 (gill), 𐑓 (fee) and 𐑝 (vow).

Lesson 6 builds on the relationship between tall, voiceless letters and their deep, voiced partners. Compare 𐑐/𐑚, 𐑒/𐑜 and 𐑓/𐑝, then learn the standalone word signs 𐑓 for “for” and 𐑝 for “of.” Use the growing letter set in guided reading and writing practice.

Add four Shavian letters: 𐑳 (up), 𐑮 (row), 𐑱 (aim) and 𐑴 (oak).

Lesson 7 compares 𐑳 with the unstressed vowel 𐑩, offers a visual reminder for distinguishing 𐑮 from 𐑤, and introduces two more vowels written with a single letter. Combine the new letters with familiar ones in sentence reading and short writing exercises.

Put the letters from Lessons 1–7 to work in a short scene, with no new letters to learn.

This practice lesson explores how Shavian distinguishes pronunciations that ordinary spelling writes alike, introduces apostrophe-free contractions, and builds reading fluency through a connected passage, comprehension questions and a second reading. Finish with a short writing exercise in which you change part of a message.

Learn five more Shavian letters: 𐑢 (way), 𐑘 (yet), 𐑿 (yule), 𐑔 (thumb) and 𐑞 (thus).

Lesson 9 introduces useful pronouns and pointing words, compares the related shapes of 𐑢 and 𐑘, and distinguishes the voiceless and voiced TH sounds represented by 𐑔 and 𐑞. You’ll also learn the final one-letter word sign: 𐑞 for “the.” Put the new letters to work in guided reading and writing practice.

Learn five more Shavian letters: 𐑖 (shy), 𐑠 (zhuzh), 𐑗 (chip), 𐑡 (joy) and 𐑙 (wing).

Lesson 10 explores sounds that ordinary spelling often represents with pairs of letters. Compare the voiced and voiceless pairs 𐑖/𐑠 and 𐑗/𐑡, then learn the single Shavian letter for the NG sound. Listening, reading and writing practice helps you notice which sound is actually present rather than relying on familiar spelling.

Learn four more Shavian vowels: 𐑫 (oomph), 𐑵 (ooze), 𐑬 (ounce) and 𐑶 (oil).

Lesson 11 compares two vowel sounds that ordinary spelling often writes alike, then introduces two moving vowels written with a single Shavian letter. Practise distinguishing the shapes and sounds, reading them in context, and writing from sound.

Practise hearing and writing common word endings in Shavian, with no new letters to learn.

Lesson 12 compares the three sounds used for regular plurals and the three sounds used for regular past-tense endings. It also introduces the conventional final 𐑦 spelling in unstressed words ending in “-y”, and contrasts it with stressed 𐑰. Use listening, reading and writing practice to choose endings by sound rather than by familiar English spelling.

Learn three more Shavian vowels: 𐑪 (on), 𐑭 (alms) and 𐑷 (ought).

Lesson 13 explores how these vowel categories vary across English accents, including distinctions that some speakers merge. The lesson explains how Shavian’s conventional spelling gives readers a shared written form without treating anyone’s natural pronunciation as an error.

Practise recognising the three vowel letters in context and choosing the conventional spelling when your own accent does not distinguish two of the sounds.

Learn three Shavian compound letters for R vowels: 𐑸 (aria), 𐑹 (aura) and 𐑺 (aero).

Lesson 14 shows how each letter combines a vowel with an optional R sound, giving both rhotic and non-rhotic English speakers a natural way to read the same conventional spelling. It also connects the compound letters with familiar vowel and consonant shapes.

Practise recognising the three letters in context, distinguishing their sounds and recalling the right shape in a short writing exercise.

Complete the Shavian alphabet with four final compound letters: 𐑻 (early), 𐑼 (array), 𐑽 (eerie) and 𐑾 (ian).

Lesson 15 distinguishes stressed and unstressed R vowels, introduces the final vowel compounds, and brings all 48 Shavian letters together. Guided reading and writing practise the new letters as you reach the full alphabet.

Put the complete Shavian alphabet to work in the final practice lesson. Read an original short story in Shavian, follow it for meaning, then return to it with greater fluency.

Lesson 16 introduces no new letters. Instead, it gives you time with the full alphabet in a connected story, comprehension pauses and guided writing practice—an opportunity to use Shavian for real reading and writing.