How to Read the Deseret Alphabet

Introduction | 𐐆𐑌𐐻𐑉𐐬𐐼𐐲𐐿𐑇𐐲𐑌

The Deseret Alphabet was designed to represent spoken English more consistently than conventional spelling. The alphabet employs a distinct symbol for each individual speech sound rather than relying on the many patterns, some irregular, found in ordinary English.

Although the script may initially appear daunting, most students can learn to read it in a short time. The examples below provide a practical introduction to reading nineteenth-century Deseret Alphabet texts.

The Basic Principle | 𐐜 𐐒𐐩𐑅𐐮𐐿 𐐑𐑉𐐮𐑌𐑅𐐮𐐹𐑊

When using the Deseret Alphabet, words are generally written according to how they are pronounced rather than according to traditional spelling conventions.

English orthography often obscures pronunciation. The words through, though, tough, and bough all contain the sequence ough, but in each word this sequence represents a different vowel. The Deseret Alphabet sought to avoid such inconsistencies by representing speech sounds more directly. Accordingly, these words appear in the Deseret as 𐑃𐑉𐐭, 𐑄𐐬, 𐐻𐐲𐑁, and 𐐺𐐵.

Readers should therefore focus on pronunciation rather than conventional spelling.

For reference, you might consult this early (ca. 1854) printed specimen of the Deseret Alphabet. Note, however, that some of the Deseret Alphabet characters changed over time.

Reading Your First Word | 𐐡𐐨𐐼𐐮𐑍 𐐏𐐮𐐳𐑉 𐐙𐑉𐑅𐐻 𐐎𐑉𐐼

Consider the name of the alphabet itself:

𐐔𐐯𐑅𐐨𐑉𐐯𐐻

This sequence corresponds approximately to the sounds:

When read aloud, these sounds produce one nineteenth-century pronunciation of Deseret. Most modern Utahns would probably pronounce the word differently and might therefore expect it to be written 𐐔𐐯𐑆𐐲𐑉𐐯𐐻. Yet nineteenth-century writers often preferred 𐐔𐐯𐑅𐐨𐑉𐐯𐐻 (among other variants), reminding us that the alphabet preserves some features of historical pronunciation that have since changed.

Character Chart | 𐐗𐐰𐑉𐐰𐐿𐐻𐑉 𐐕𐐪𐑉𐐻

The table below lists forty Deseret Alphabet characters, including majuscule and minuscule forms, approximate sound values, and example words.

Note: Deseret Alphabet sound values and symbols varied across time, writers, and publications. This chart is intended as a practical reading aid rather than a complete account of nineteenth-century usage. In addition, letter names are not always made explicit in original publications and so some have been standardized and/or inferred here.

Practice Examples | 𐐑𐑉𐐰𐐿𐐻𐐮𐑅 𐐇𐑀𐑆𐐰𐑋𐐹𐑊𐑆

Try a full sentence attributed to Brigham Young (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, 9 April 1852):

𐐐𐐨 𐐮𐑆 𐐵𐑉 𐑁𐐪𐑄𐐯𐑉 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐐵𐑉 𐐘𐐱𐐼, 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐑄 𐐬𐑌𐑊𐐮 𐐘𐐱𐐼 𐐶𐑄 𐐸𐐭𐑋 𐐶𐐨 𐐸𐐰𐑂 𐐻𐐭 𐐼𐐭.

Readers are encouraged to compare these spellings with examples found throughout the Illinois Deseret Consortium’s expanding digitized corpus, especially the many variants found in the Comparative Lexicon.

Historical Pronunciation | 𐐐𐐮𐑅𐐻𐐱𐑉𐐮𐐿𐑊 𐐹𐑉𐐲𐑌𐐲𐑌𐑅𐐨𐐩𐑇𐐲𐑌

One of the most valuable features of the Deseret Alphabet is its capacity to record the writer’s pronunciation. Because the script was designed to represent speech sounds more directly than conventional English spelling, Deseret texts provide important evidence about how some Utahns spoke during the territorial period. Yet the relationship between spelling and speech is not always straightforward. The Deseret Alphabet lacked a fully standardized orthography for most of its history, and a proposed dictionary was never completed. Consequently, spelling practices varied considerably. Some variations likely reflect differences in pronunciation, while others may represent individual or editorial preferences in writing rather than spoken usage alone.

Nevertheless, for linguists and historians, Deseret Alphabet spellings can provide an important source of information about language change, migration, education, and regional identity in the nineteenth-century American West.

Further Resources | 𐐙𐑉𐑄𐑉 𐐡𐐨𐑅𐐬𐑉𐑅𐐯𐑆

Ready to explore original texts? Browse the 1869 Book of Mormon, the New Testament manuscript, or the Comparative Lexicon, among others.

Those interested in the history, language ideology, and cultural legacy of the script may wish to read Shosted and Davis’ landmark study, The Deseret Alphabet: A Fixed and Unalterable Sound (University of Illinois Press, 2026).