How to use the rune translator
Choose a set of runes, type your text and the runes appear as you type. Words are separated with the small dot that rune carvers used. Paste runes into the box to read them back as letters. Charts of every rune and its traditional name are below the tool.
The translator spells English sounds with runes, which is called transliteration. It does not translate English into Old Norse or Old English, which would mean using different words altogether. Where a letter has no rune of its own, the closest sound is used: C and Q become K in the Elder Futhark, for example, and TH and NG have runes of their own.
The three rune alphabets
The Elder Futhark has 24 runes and is the oldest, used across northern Europe from roughly the second to the eighth century. Its name comes from its first six letters: F, U, TH, A, R and K.
The Younger Futhark has only 16 runes and was used in Scandinavia during the Viking Age. Because there are fewer runes, one rune stands for several sounds: the same rune is used for K and G, and another for T and D. Reading Younger Futhark back gives only one of the possible letters, so expect some odd spellings.
The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc was used in England and grew to around 30 runes to fit the sounds of Old English. It gives us the letter thorn, þ, which was used in English writing for centuries.
Questions and answers
Which runes should I use for a tattoo or carving?
Elder Futhark is the most popular for modern designs. Because runes spell sounds, ask someone who knows the language if you want a historically accurate spelling, and always check the result carefully.
Does this translate into Old Norse?
No. It writes English words in runes. Translating into Old Norse or Old English would change the words themselves.
Why does my name look different in Younger Futhark?
The Younger Futhark has only 16 runes, so several letters share one rune, and some sounds have to be approximated.
What does futhark mean?
It is made from the sounds of the first six runes: F, U, TH, A, R, K, much as alphabet comes from alpha and beta.