Osage Small Letter Cha

It marks an Osage consonant with a sound like “ch.”

In Osage, 𐓝 is one letter, not the English pair “c” and “h.” The English “ch” in “chip” is a pronunciation clue.

Why did Osage create a separate alphabet?

It gave learners a shared spelling system that fit Osage sounds.

Earlier Osage records used several Latin-based spellings—systems written with familiar A–Z letters; one early source is dated around 1851. This alphabet came later.

The modern timeline spans 2004, 2006, 2014, and 2015: the Osage Nation began a language program, the program’s director and advanced learners shaped a practical alphabet from adapted or combined Latin letter shapes, the current set was adopted, and the Nation approved the orthography. By 2023, the Osage Nation Language Department had made its writing system available across electronic platforms while using technology to bring Osage into daily life. A separate script helped prevent English spelling habits from steering Osage pronunciation.