Tengwar is the writing system J.R.R. Tolkien created for many of his Elvish languages. In Tolkien’s fictional history, the script was devised by Fëanor in the First Age and later adapted for several languages and peoples.
The word tengwar is Quenya and means “letters” or “characters.” Its shapes are based on consonant signs and vowel marks, and the exact sound values can change according to the language being written. This means Tengwar is not simply an alphabet with one permanent pronunciation for every symbol.
Tolkien also created Cirth, a separate runic writing system associated especially with the Dwarves and the language of Khuzdul, although other peoples used it too. Sarati was another earlier script in Tolkien’s invented history. These systems show that Tolkien built writing traditions as carefully as he built vocabulary and mythology.