Vai Syllable Wan

It writes the Vai syllable “wan.” A syllabary is a writing system whose signs stand for spoken syllables. This character contributes one sound-bearing part to a Vai word; the full word supplies its meaning. It belongs in Vai-language writing, script study, or an explanation of the writing system.

Where did the Vai script come from?

Vai speakers developed this script as a new writing system around 1833. A brief text documented in 1834 is the earliest known surviving sample. Momolu Duwalu Bukele is commonly credited as a principal inventor, while the script’s beginnings are also described as community work.

It served practical needs such as letters, trade records, lists, and private business. It also gave Vai communities a writing system of their own amid colonial rule. During the 19th century, schools and everyday transactions helped it spread.

During the 20th century, Vai texts carried histories, folktales, and Bible and Qur’an translations. The script also served commerce, newspapers, tombstones, and traditional rituals. As of 2026, Vai remains a living script. A proposed historical link to Cherokee—the syllabary used to write the Cherokee language—is debated. Both scripts represent syllables, but that similarity alone does not show that Vai borrowed Cherokee characters.

Why does ꕏ look wrong on my device?

A font without Vai support can show a box instead. The character is text, and the font supplies its shape. A font with Vai support can display it.

Some older Vai fonts use non-Unicode mappings: they assign Vai shapes to codes that do not represent those characters in standard Unicode text. Text made with such a font may need conversion.