Rook script is an alternative writing system for English. There are 37 letters in the rook script alphabet: 24 consonants and 13 vowels, each representing a distinct sound.

Rook consonant sounds, using Latin letters	Rook vowel sounds, using Latin letters
Rook consonants	Rook vowels

In rook script, every word is broken up into syllables, and each syllable has three layers. The middle layer is always a single vowel. Above the vowel is the onset layer, and below is the coda. There may be multiple consonants in the onset and in the coda, though not every syllable has an onset or a coda. If an onset or coda has more than one consonant, the consonants are read from left to right.

Structure of a rook syllable

Example of a rook syllable using the word “strength”

A pangram in rook script. In Latin, the sentence reads, “The royal youth are measuring bad vibes to exchange one more homebound sheep for a good sieve.”

Every word in English has an official rook spelling, specifying both the sequence of letters and the boundary points between syllables, though the spellings of many words have changed recently. You can see the current spellings of about 1,500 words in the rook script dictionary, and you can learn about the principles of rook script spelling in the pages of this blog.

If you’re interested in writing in rook script, it is recommended to start by learning the alphabet. When you have that down, practice reading, and practice spelling without worrying too much about the syllable boundaries. If you plan to use rook script in a professional capacity then you will want to make sure to spell correctly, including syllable boundaries.

Read about the alphabet
Read about the alphabet tables