Unicode Block - Vai

Unicode Version 18.0

Vai is a script used for writing the Vai language, spoken primarily in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and it was added to the Unicode standard in 2005. This syllabic writing system, which includes 305 characters for syllables, logograms, and punctuation, was created in the 1830s by Momolu Duwalu Bukele. The script’s characters represent consonant-vowel combinations, with additional symbols for nasal vowels and other phonetic distinctions, and it also includes digits and various historical and stylistic variants. Today, the Vai script is used in education, literature, and cultural preservation, though it faces competition from Latin-based orthographies in some contexts.