Which script was standardized and spread under Charlemagne's reforms?

The script standardized and spread under Charlemagne's reforms was Carolingian minuscule. Also called Caroline minuscule, it developed in the late eighth century as scribes sought a clearer, more uniform way to copy religious, legal, and classical texts across the Carolingian Empire.

Its rounded letterforms, clear word spacing, restrained use of ligatures, and improved punctuation made manuscripts easier to read than many earlier regional scripts. Charlemagne supported educational and ecclesiastical reform, while scholars such as Alcuin of York helped organize scriptoria and promote consistent writing practices. Important centers included Aachen, Corbie, and Tours.

The name can cause two common mix-ups. Merovingian script was an earlier Frankish family of hands that influenced Carolingian minuscule, but it was not the later standardized script. Gothic script came afterward, evolving from Carolingian forms during the later Middle Ages. Insular scripts from Ireland and Britain also influenced its development, but were not the answer.

Carolingian minuscule later influenced Renaissance humanist handwriting and, through early printing, helped shape the lowercase Latin letters used in many modern typefaces.