Tengwar is the fictional script created by J.R.R. Tolkien for writing languages including Quenya and Sindarin.
The Tengwar, also called the Fëanorian characters, were devised by the elf Fëanor in Tolkien’s internal history. Their design is based on a systematic arrangement of signs representing consonants and vowel marks. The script can therefore be adapted to different languages rather than functioning as a single language itself.
Tolkien used Tengwar inscriptions in illustrations and decorative writing connected with Middle-earth. One famous example is the inscription on the One Ring, written in the Black Speech of Mordor using Tengwar characters.
Tengwar is often confused with Cirth. Cirth is another Tolkien-created writing system, made from angular runes and associated especially with peoples such as the dwarves. Sarati is an earlier script in Tolkien’s invented writing history, while Angerthas refers to expanded runic arrangements related to the Cirth tradition.