Blog

Elder Futhark vs Younger Futhark vs Futhorc: The Differences Explained
How the three main rune alphabets differ: number of runes, dates, sounds and where each was used, with a side-by-side chart and advice on which to choose.
How to Write Your Name in Runes (and Avoid Common Mistakes)
A step-by-step method for writing a name in runes by sound, choosing the right rune row, and checking it before a tattoo or engraving.
How Cuneiform Works: Word Signs, Syllables and Determinatives
A plain-English guide to the world's oldest writing system: how cuneiform signs work, how to read a transliteration, and why one sign can have many readings.
How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Beginner's Guide
Learn the basics of reading hieroglyphs: reading direction, the uniliteral signs, word signs, determinatives and cartouches, with examples.
From Phoenician to Latin: How the Alphabet Spread
How a 22-letter Phoenician script became Greek, Latin, Gothic, runes and Hebrew, letter by letter, with a chart tracing A, B and C back 3,000 years.
Hiragana vs Katakana vs Kanji: How Japanese Writing Works
What hiragana, katakana and kanji are each used for, how they mix in a sentence, and which to learn first, with clear examples.
Viking Words in English: What We Borrowed from Old Norse
The everyday English words that came from Old Norse, from 'they' and 'take' to 'sky' and 'window', and how to tell them from native Old English words.
How Braille Works: Cells, Dots, Grade 1 and Grade 2
How the six-dot Braille cell encodes letters, numbers and capitals, the difference between Grade 1 and Grade 2, and the story of Louis Braille.
How the Vikings Used Runes: Runestones, Messages and Magic
What Viking runes really were: the 16-rune Younger Futhark, runestones like Jelling and Rök, everyday rune sticks from Bergen, and the truth about rune magic.
Ancient Writing Systems: How the World's First Scripts Worked
A guide to the world's first scripts: cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Chinese characters, Maya glyphs and the first alphabet, and how each one worked.
Is Sumerian the Oldest Language? What the Evidence Says
Sumerian is the oldest written language, alongside Egyptian, but not the oldest language. See the dates, the evidence and how other ancient languages compare.
The Navajo Code Talkers: How a Language Helped Win WWII
How the Navajo Code Talkers built an unbreakable WWII code from their language, with real code words, the story of the first 29, and Iwo Jima.
How Gen Alpha Slang Spreads (and What It Means)
Where Gen Alpha slang comes from, why it spreads so fast through TikTok, games and YouTube, and what words like rizz, skibidi, mid and aura mean.
How Do You Translate Middle English to Modern English?
Translate Middle English into modern English step by step: spelling, false friends, pronunciation and grammar, with Chaucer examples and the best free dictionaries.
Old English vs Middle English: What's the Difference?
Old English vs Middle English explained: dates, letters like þ and æ, grammar, French loanwords and how to tell which one a text is, with side-by-side examples.
Attic vs Koine Greek: Which Ancient Greek Should You Use?
Attic or Koine? How the Greek of Plato differs from New Testament Greek, which to choose for a motto or tattoo, and how to check an Ancient Greek translation.
How to Translate English to Aramaic: Dialects and Scripts
How to translate English to Aramaic: choose the right dialect and script, the Aramaic words of Jesus, Syriac vs Hebrew letters, and common mistakes to avoid.
Old Norse vs Icelandic: How Close Is the Viking Language?
Old Norse vs modern Icelandic and the Nordic languages compared, with word tables, what 'English to Nordic' really means and how to translate into Old Norse.
What Do the 24 Elder Futhark Runes Mean? A Simple Guide
All 24 Elder Futhark runes with sounds, names and meanings, where the meanings come from, what's history vs modern divination, and how to write English in runes.
Sumerian vs Akkadian: What Language Is Cuneiform?
Cuneiform is a script, not a language. How Sumerian and Akkadian differ, the same words in both, and which one a cuneiform or Sumerian translator should use.
Egyptian Arabic vs Standard Arabic: Key Differences Explained
Egyptian Arabic vs Modern Standard Arabic: pronunciation, everyday words, grammar and common phrases, plus when to use each when you translate into Arabic.
Cajun French vs Louisiana Creole: What's the Difference?
Cajun French vs Louisiana Creole (Kouri-Vini): history, grammar, pronouns and verbs compared, common Cajun phrases and which language to use for a translation.
What Makes Puerto Rican Spanish Different? 25 Words Explained
How Puerto Rican Spanish sounds and 25 everyday Boricua words explained, from guagua and china to wepa, with their origins and tips for translating naturally.
How Did Victorians Talk? Victorian vs Archaic English
How Victorians really spoke: polite phrases, period words and real Victorian slang, how it differs from archaic 'thee and thou' English, with modern examples.
How to Write English Words in Hiragana: A Simple Guide
Write English words and names in hiragana by sound: step-by-step method, sounds Japanese lacks, long vowels and small tsu, and why katakana is usually used.
What Does Corporate Jargon Really Mean? 30 Phrases Decoded
30 corporate jargon phrases decoded into plain English, why people use them, when to avoid them, and how to translate between business speak and clear writing.
How Do You Say Hello in Navajo? 40 Essential Words
Say hello, thank you, yes and no in Navajo, count to ten and name family and everyday things, with a pronunciation guide to tone marks, nasal vowels and ł.
How to Translate English to Latin Correctly (Mottos & Grammar)
Translate English into Latin correctly: cases, verb endings, choosing the right word, famous Latin phrases with sources, and the mistakes that ruin Latin mottos.
Biblical Hebrew vs Modern Hebrew: What's the Difference?
Biblical vs Modern Hebrew compared: word order, verb forms, vowel points and vocabulary, with Genesis 1:1 and how to translate into Biblical Hebrew.
How Do You Write English in Sanskrit? A Simple Guide
How to translate English into Sanskrit: cases, verbs, sandhi, Devanagari and IAST, famous Sanskrit phrases with sources, and common mistakes in mantras and tattoos.
Classical Chinese vs Modern Chinese: Key Differences Explained
Classical Chinese (wenyanwen) vs modern Mandarin: one-character words, grammar particles, traditional characters and famous lines from Confucius, Laozi and Sunzi.
What Is Coptic? The Last Stage of Ancient Egyptian Explained
Coptic is ancient Egyptian written in Greek-based letters. Its alphabet, Sahidic vs Bohairic, how it relates to hieroglyphs and how to translate English into Coptic.
How Do You Talk Like Shakespeare? Thou, Thee and Thy Explained
Talk like Shakespeare: when to use thou, thee and you, verb endings like -est and -eth, period words like prithee and anon, and the mistakes everyone makes.
Sindarin vs Quenya: Which Elvish Language Should You Use?
Tolkien's two Elvish languages compared: Sindarin vs Quenya, famous Elvish words and phrases, how Sindarin grammar works and how to translate English into Elvish.
What Is Proto-Germanic? The Ancestor of English Explained
Proto-Germanic is the reconstructed ancestor of English, German and Norse. How linguists rebuild it, Grimm's Law, its grammar and how to translate into it.
How Does a Freak Translator Work? Fancy Text Explained
Fancy text generators swap letters for Unicode look-alikes. How bold, script, Fraktur and bubble text work, why they paste anywhere, and the accessibility catch.
What Is the Gothic Alphabet? All 27 Letters Explained
Wulfila's 4th-century Gothic alphabet: all 27 letters with names, sounds and number values, where the letters came from, and how to write English in Gothic.
What Is Ogham? Ireland's Ancient Alphabet Explained
Ogham, Ireland's earliest writing: the 20 letters in four groups, the tree names, what Ogham stones say and how to write your name in Ogham correctly.