Tengwar is the script J.R.R. Tolkien created for many Elvish inscriptions.
Tengwar, also called the Fëanorian script, is an artificial writing system used for several languages in Tolkien’s legendarium. Its letters are based on systematic arrangements of consonants and vowels, and the script can be adapted to different languages rather than belonging exclusively to one tongue. Tolkien presented it in detailed tables and examples.
The script is strongly associated with the fictional craftsman Fëanor, who devised it in the history of Middle-earth. Tolkien used Tengwar for samples such as the inscription on the One Ring, although the Ring inscription is written in the Black Speech of Mordor rather than in an Elvish language.
Tengwar is often confused with Cirth, another Tolkien writing system made from angular runes. Cirth was especially associated with the Dwarves and was suited to carving. Tolkien’s scripts demonstrate that his world-building extended beyond stories and names to writing technology, historical development, and cultural use.