Deseret alphabet
The Deseret alphabet (/ˌdɛzəˈrɛt/ (listen);[1] Deseret: 𐐔𐐯𐑅𐐨𐑉𐐯𐐻 or 𐐔𐐯𐑆𐐲𐑉𐐯𐐻) is a phonemic English-language spelling reform developed between 1847 and 1854 by the board of regents of the University of Deseret under the leadership of Brigham Young, the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[2] George D. Watt is reported to have been the most actively involved in the development of the script,[2][3][4]: 159 as well as being its first serious user.[5]: 12
Deseret alphabet 𐐔𐐯𐑅𐐨𐑉𐐯𐐻 | |
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Script type | Alphabet
|
Creator | George D. Watt, under the direction of the Board of Regents, led by Brigham Young |
Published | 1854
|
Time period | Mainly 1854–1869; some use in modern era |
Direction | left-to-right ![]() |
Languages | English, Native American languages (Hopi language) |
Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
ISO 15924 | |
ISO 15924 | Dsrt (250), Deseret (Mormon) |
Unicode | |
Unicode alias | Deseret |
U+10400–U+1044F | |


In public statements, Young claimed the alphabet was intended to replace the traditional Latin alphabet with an alternative, more phonetically accurate alphabet for the English language. This would offer immigrants an opportunity to learn to read and write English, he said, the orthography of which is often less phonetically consistent than those of many other languages.[2]: 65–66 Similar neographies have not been uncommon, the most well-known of which for English is the Shavian alphabet.
The Deseret alphabet was an outgrowth of Young's, and the early LDS Church's, idealism and utopianism. Young and the Mormon pioneers believed "all aspects of life" were in need of reform, and the Deseret alphabet was just one of many ways they sought to bring about a complete "transformation in society".[4]: 142
Young also prescribed the learning of Deseret to the school system, stating "It will be the means of introducing uniformity in our orthography, and the years that are now required to learn to read and spell can be devoted to other studies."[6]
During the alphabet's heyday between 1854 and 1869, books, newspapers, street signs and correspondence used the new letters, but despite heavy and costly promotion by the early LDS Church, the alphabet never enjoyed prolonged widespread use and has been regarded by historians as a failure.[2][5][7][8][9]