ideograph
Concept as symbol
An ideograph is a written symbol that represents an idea or concept rather than a sound.
Chinese characters are the most familiar example—each character conveys meaning directly without indicating pronunciation.
The term also applies to pictographic symbols like ♀ or $ that communicate across languages.
Also called ideogram.
Symbolic picture-based writing
- cuneiformStylus-impressed ancient script
- logogramSymbol representing entire word
- syllabaryWriting using sound-units
- kanjiChinese symbols in Japanese
hanzi · demotic · hieratic · Mayan glyphs · Sumerian · Akkadian · Egyptian · Aztec
Symbol using visual likeness
- logographSymbol for complete word
- glyphVisual form of character
- radicalRoot-indicating symbol
- characterNature, symbol, or role
sign · determinative · semantic · phonetic · compound
Ornamental handwriting art
- inscriptionText permanently marked
- strokeSudden brain blood blockage
- brushworkPainter's stroke method
- carvingShaping by cutting away
engraving · manuscript · transcription · orthography · transliteration · paleography · epigraphy · encoding
Abstract mental construct
- representationDepiction or likeness
- significationExpressed or intended meaning
- abstractionDistilling to essential qualities
- notionImprecise mental impression
semantic · referent · denotation · connotation · symbolic · conceptual
Symbol drawn as image
- iconPictorial screen symbol
- emojiDigital pictograph for messaging
- emoticonDigital mood symbol
- hieroglyphAncient Egyptian picture-writing symbol
petroglyph · cave painting · rock art · rebus · pictorial
hieroglyphics
Symbolic picture-based writing
- cuneiformStylus-impressed ancient script
- logogramSymbol representing entire word
- syllabaryWriting using sound-units
kanji · hanzi · demotic · hieratic · Mayan glyphs · Sumerian · Akkadian · Egyptian · Aztec · Zapotec
pictogram
Symbol using visual likeness
character · sign · determinative · semantic · phonetic · compound
calligraphy
Ornamental handwriting art
- inscriptionText permanently marked
- strokeSudden brain blood blockage
- brushworkPainter's stroke method
carving · engraving · manuscript · transcription · orthography · transliteration · paleography · epigraphy · encoding · typography
concept
Abstract mental construct
- representationDepiction or likeness
- significationExpressed or intended meaning
- abstractionDistilling to essential qualities
notion · semantic · referent · denotation · connotation · symbolic · conceptual
pictograph
Symbol drawn as image
hieroglyph · petroglyph · cave painting · rock art · rebus · pictorial
- ancient writinghieroglyphs, cuneiform, papyrus, scroll, clay tablets
- Chinese writinghanzi, characters, character, radical, radicals
- Logogramslogograms, logogram, logograph, logographs, pictogram
- symbolssymbols, runes, symbol, asterisks, national symbol
- Mandarinpinyin, tones, Hanzi, traditional characters, neutral tone
- text encodingUTF-8, ASCII, encoding, character set, charset
ideographpictograph
Symbol drawn as image
pictogram · photograph · icon · realistic depiction · hieroglyph