Tengwar was the invented script used for many languages of Middle-earth in J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing.
Tengwar is a writing system created by Tolkien for the Elves and adapted for several languages. Its letters are called tengwa in the singular and tengwar in the plural. The system is primarily alphabetic, but its design uses distinct shapes and additional marks to represent consonants and vowels in different writing modes.
Tolkien’s texts show Tengwar used for languages including Quenya and Sindarin, with the precise sound values depending on the mode. The script appears in inscriptions, title pages, maps, and illustrations connected with Middle-earth. The famous inscription on the One Ring is written in Tengwar characters, although the language of the inscription is the Black Speech of Mordor.
Tengwar is not the same as Cirth, the runic system associated particularly with the Dwarves and also used by other peoples. Sarati is an earlier script Tolkien devised within the history of his invented writing systems, while Angerthas refers to expanded runic arrangements. These related names are why script terminology can be confusing.