Aurebesh Explained: How to Read the Star Wars Alphabet
Pause The Mandalorian on a cockpit display, a wanted poster, or a cantina sign, and you'll see it: Aurebesh. It's everywhere in Star Wars, and — unlike most alien text — you can actually read it.
Here's how the Star Wars alphabet works and how to start reading it.
What Is Aurebesh?
Aurebesh is the main writing system of the Star Wars galaxy, used to write Galactic Basic. It's a substitution alphabet: each Aurebesh letter corresponds to a Latin (English) letter, plus some extra characters for common letter combinations. The name comes from its first two letters, Aurek and Besh — just as "alphabet" comes from Greek alpha and beta.
The Counterintuitive Truth: Aurebesh Was Born From Background Props
Aurebesh didn't start as a planned alphabet. It grew out of symbols designed by Joe Johnston for Return of the Jedi (1983), used on screens and props.
Later, Stephen Crane at West End Games developed those shapes into a full alphabet for the Star Wars roleplaying game in the 1990s. Fans adopted it, and Lucasfilm used it widely in later films and series. We call this prop-to-script evolution: set decoration that becomes a real, readable writing system.
How Aurebesh Works
Letters Map to English
Each Aurebesh letter has a name and corresponds to an English letter:
| English | Aurebesh name |
|---|---|
| A | Aurek |
| B | Besh |
| C | Cresh |
| D | Dorn |
| E | Esk |
| F | Forn |
| G | Grek |
| H | Herf |
| I | Isk |
| J | Jenth |
| K | Krill |
| L | Leth |
| M | Mern |
| N | Nern |
| O | Osk |
| P | Peth |
| Q | Qek |
| R | Resh |
| S | Senth |
| T | Trill |
| U | Usk |
| V | Vev |
| W | Wesk |
| X | Xesh |
| Y | Yirt |
| Z | Zerek |
Extra Characters
Aurebesh includes special characters for combinations like ch, sh, th, and ng.
How to Read Aurebesh
- Learn a few letters at a time. Start with vowels.
- Practise on screenshots. Many Disney+ signs contain readable words.
- Look for Easter eggs. Designers sometimes hide jokes.
- Write your name. It's the fastest way to memorise shapes.
Convert any text instantly with the Aurebesh Translator.
Aurebesh Isn't a Language
This is a common confusion. Aurebesh is a script, not a spoken language. It writes Galactic Basic, which is represented by English on screen.
Other Star Wars languages are spoken:
| Name | Type | Try it |
|---|---|---|
| Aurebesh | Writing system | Aurebesh |
| Huttese | Spoken language | Huttese |
| Mando'a | Spoken language | Mandalorian |
| Sith | Spoken language | Sith |
From Aurebesh to Huttese: Star Wars Writing Beyond Basic
Star Wars material also references other scripts:
- Outer Rim scripts used by Hutts and others
- Mando'a written in Mandalorian symbols in some sources
- Sith and Jedi ancient texts with their own styles
But Aurebesh remains the dominant, readable script.
Easter Eggs in Aurebesh
Fans who read Aurebesh have spotted hidden messages in props and screens across Star Wars productions — sometimes crew names, sometimes jokes. That makes pausing a scene a small treasure hunt.
We call this frame archaeology: digging through paused frames for hidden text.
Aurebesh vs Other Fictional Scripts
| Script | Franchise | Type | Try it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurebesh | Star Wars | Latin substitution | Aurebesh |
| Tengwar | Tolkien | Full writing system with modes | Tengwar |
| Daedric | Elder Scrolls | Latin substitution | Daedric |
| Kryptonian | Superman | Alien alphabet | Kryptonian |
| Hylian | Zelda | Multiple versions | Hylian |
What Designers Say
Star Wars art departments have explained over the years that readable alien text creates a richer world — and rewards dedicated fans. Lucasfilm's use of consistent Aurebesh across films, games, and series helped make it one of the most recognised fictional scripts.
Where Aurebesh Is Heading
Aurebesh already appears in theme parks like Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, where signs and menus use it. We predict Aurebesh will become the most widely read fictional script in the world, as theme park visitors, gamers, and streamers learn it through repeated exposure — no study required.