A writing system (also called a script) is a system of symbols used to represent language. There are different kinds of writing systems, with symbols that represent different things. For example, English uses an alphabet (the Latin alphabet). The fundamental principle is that symbols stand for sound, but there is more to it than that. The term "writing system" includes more than just (for example) an alphabet. Alphabets are part of a "graphic inventory" which includes punctuation, diacritics, ideograms (e.g. numbers) and logograms (standing for specific words such as $, & etc.). Types of writing systems There are many different types of writing systems. Each grapheme, or symbol, can mean different things in different writing systems. Depending on what an individual symbol means, such as a whole word or a sound, each writing system is categorized as a different type. Phonetic A phonetic writing system is one where symbols mean individual sounds (or phonemes). There are different types of phonetic writing systems. Alphabets A true alphabet is a...