Syllabary

A syllabary is a type of writing system where each symbol represents a syllable—a unit combining a consonant and a vowel sound, or a vowel alone. Unlike alphabetic systems that use individual letters for sounds, syllabaries use characters that stand for entire syllables, making it easier to write complex words in languages with many syllables. Examples include the Japanese kana (hiragana and katakana) and the Cherokee syllabary. Syllabaries help encode language efficiently by capturing sounds more directly, often simplifying reading and pronunciation, especially for languages with a regular syllabic structure.