Cherokee letter We

It represents a syllable in Cherokee writing. Cherokee writing is a syllabary: each character represents a syllable rather than a single sound or a whole word. Ꮺ represents “we” ( /we/ ). In the w-series, Ꮹ is wa, Ꮺ is we, Ꮻ is wi, Ꮼ is wo, Ꮽ is wu, and Ꮾ is wv; the vowel changes the syllable. A lone Ꮺ may be a sound or fragment rather than a complete word.

Sequoyah developed the Cherokee syllabary around 1809–1821 to write spoken Cherokee. It was introduced in 1821; 1828 Manitou Cave inscriptions offer an early glimpse of its use. The Cherokee Nation adopted it in 1825, and the Cherokee Phoenix began bilingual printing in 1828. During the Removal period, the writing system supported communication and resistance to the loss of Cherokee lands. Metal type simplified the intricate shapes Sequoyah first drew, while the characters kept their own syllable values. In 2021, an exhibition documented Cherokee artists using the syllabary for cultural expression and pride.

How do I type Ꮺ?

Choose a Cherokee keyboard or input layout. An English keyboard does not turn the letters w-e into Ꮺ; select a Cherokee syllabary layout on your device.

If Ꮺ looks different in another font, the shape may have changed while the character and syllable stayed the same. Cherokee typefaces can draw the reference shapes differently.