What is the Elvish writing system Tolkien called Tengwar?

Tengwar is a script created by J.R.R. Tolkien for writing the languages of Middle-earth. The word means “letters” or “writing” in Quenya, and Tolkien designed the system with distinct signs for consonants and vowel marks called tehtar.

Tengwar appears in many contexts, including inscriptions, manuscripts and the title page of The Lord of the Rings. The One Ring inscription is commonly printed in Tengwar characters, although the inscription itself is written in the Black Speech of Mordor. This distinction often causes readers to confuse a script with the language it records.

Tolkien developed Tengwar as part of his broader interest in historical linguistics and writing systems. Different modes adapt the signs to languages such as Quenya, Sindarin and English. Unlike a simple decorative alphabet, Tengwar has systematic conventions for sound values, vowel placement and direction of writing, making it one of Tolkien’s most detailed linguistic creations.