Rune and Ogham Translators
Runes were the alphabets of the early Germanic peoples, carved in wood, bone, metal and stone from about the 2nd century AD until the Middle Ages. There was never just one runic alphabet: the 24-rune Elder Futhark came first, then Scandinavians cut it down to the 16-rune Younger Futhark of the Viking Age, while in England it grew into the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. Ogham, the stroke alphabet of early Ireland, developed separately but was also made for carving.
Each tool below spells your text by sound, the way the original carvers did, and can read runes back into Latin letters. Every page has a full chart with the rune names, sounds and the history of the alphabet.
- Runic TranslatorWrite any name in the oldest runic alphabet, by sound.
- Younger Futhark TranslatorThe 16 runes of the Viking Age, long-branch or short-twig.
- Anglo-Saxon Runes TranslatorFuthorc runes of early England, with æ, þ and ea.
- Ogham TranslatorThe stroke alphabet of early Irish stones.
Which rune alphabet should you choose?
| If your text is about… | Use | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Early Germanic peoples, migration period | Runic Translator | c. AD 150–800 |
| Vikings, Scandinavia, Old Norse | Younger Futhark Translator | c. AD 800–1100 |
| Anglo-Saxon England, Old English | Anglo-Saxon Runes Translator | c. AD 450–1100 |
| Early Ireland, Irish names | Ogham Translator | c. AD 400–600 on stones |
Not sure how the rows differ? Read Elder Futhark vs Younger Futhark vs Futhorc: The Differences Explained, or learn how to avoid common spelling mistakes in How to Write Your Name in Runes (and Avoid Common Mistakes).