Myanmar Alphabet

The Burmese alphabet is used for writing the Burmese language, as well as the liturgical languages of Pali and Sanskrit. It is an adaptation of the Mon script, which in turn derived from the  Brahmi 11000–1104D script of India.

The Burmese alphabet is classified as an abugida. Each character represents a syllable with a base vowel. Diacritical marks are used to indicate other vowels. Words are written in a connected manner from left to right, with spaces only used to separate sentences or phrases.

The earliest known inscription in the Burmese script dates back to the 11th century. Initially, the script had a more square shape. It became more rounded when writing on palm leaves, which could tear when straight lines were applied.