Write your name or a phrase in runes. Choose the Elder Futhark, the Viking-age Younger Futhark or the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, see every letter matched to its rune, copy real Unicode runes, or download the inscription as a PNG. Paste runes to read them back in Latin letters.
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Letter by letter
Rune key:
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How to use the Rune Translator
Pick a rune alphabet: Elder Futhark, Younger Futhark or Anglo-Saxon Futhorc.
Type English, such as a name, in the left box.
Choose a word separator and the digraph and double-letter options.
Check the letter-by-letter breakdown and the rune key.
Copy the runes or click Download PNG for an image.
The three rune alphabets
Alphabet
Runes
Period and place
“FUTHARK” in runes
Elder Futhark
24
c. 150–800 AD, Germanic peoples across Scandinavia and Europe
ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱᚲ
Younger Futhark
16
c. 800–1100 AD, Viking Age Scandinavia
ᚠᚢᚦᚬᚱᚴ
Anglo-Saxon Futhorc
26–33
c. 400–1100 AD, England and Frisia
ᚠᚢᚦᚩᚱᚳ
The name “futhark” comes from the first six runes: F, U, TH, A, R, K, just as “alphabet” comes from alpha and beta.
English letters to Elder Futhark
Letter
Rune
Letter
Rune
Letter
Rune
A
ᚨ
J
ᛃ
S
ᛊ
B
ᛒ
K / C / Q
ᚲ
T
ᛏ
D
ᛞ
L
ᛚ
U
ᚢ
E
ᛖ
M
ᛗ
W / V
ᚹ
F
ᚠ
N
ᚾ
X
ᚲᛊ
G
ᚷ
O
ᛟ
Y
ᛃ
H
ᚺ
P
ᛈ
Z
ᛉ
I
ᛁ
R
ᚱ
TH / NG
ᚦ / ᛜ
Runes were written by sound, not spelling, so carvers rarely doubled letters and often spelled words the way they sounded. For a tattoo or engraving, double-check the result with a specialist source, since there is more than one valid way to write many names.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a translation or a transliteration?
A transliteration: each English letter or sound is written with the matching rune, the way people write modern names in runes. It does not translate words into Old Norse or Old English, which would require changing the language itself.
Which rune alphabet should I use?
The Elder Futhark (24 runes, about 150–800 AD) is the oldest and most popular choice for names and tattoos. The Younger Futhark (16 runes) is what Vikings used from about 800 AD. The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc (up to 33 runes) was used in England and Frisia and fits English spelling best.
Why do some letters share a rune?
Runic alphabets had fewer signs than Latin. The Younger Futhark has only 16 runes, so one rune covers several sounds: ᚴ for k and g, ᛏ for t and d, ᛒ for b and p, and ᛁ for i and e. Reading those back is ambiguous, so the reverse direction picks the most common letter.
Why do runes show up as boxes?
The runes are real Unicode characters (U+16A0–U+16FF). If your device has no font for the Runic block they appear as empty boxes. Windows (Segoe UI Historic), macOS and iOS (Apple Symbols), and Android (Noto Sans Runic) include runic fonts; installing Noto Sans Runic fixes most other systems.
What are the dots between rune words?
Runic inscriptions often separate words with one dot (᛫), two dots (᛬) or a cross (᛭) instead of spaces. Choose the separator you like; spaces are fine for modern use.
Is there a rune for every letter?
Not in the original alphabets. There was no separate C, Q, V, X or Y in the Elder Futhark, so they are written with the closest sounds: c and q as ᚲ, v as ᚹ, x as ᚲᛊ and y as ᛃ.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.