Kikọ Script
The Kikọ script is a newly developed alphabetic system created to write the Yoruba language. This project reimagines Yoruba, offering a fresh perspective on its written form, especially from the perspective of a type designer. The name Kikọ simply means “writing” in the Yoruba language.
I began developing this script early in my type design journey. Having always been fascinated by writing systems and languages, I naturally admired those that had their own script or a distinctive cultural identity applied to an adopted script. Yoruba, as it’s currently written in the Latin script, feels cumbersome to write and lacks visual appeal. For a language celebrated as melodious and beautiful when spoken, its written form doesn’t quite capture that charm. charm.
Driven to address this, I set out to create a script that would be visually captivating—one that invites closer inspection of its form. It had to be functional as well: easy to write (especially for the issue of tone writing), easy to learn, and easy to read. Most importantly, I wanted it to enrich the literary and cultural heritage of Yoruba. After three years of research and refinement, the Kikọ script reached its current form, with future evolution to come from the contributions of Yoruba Kikọ writers."
At the bottom of this page, you'll find three books translated into Yoruba and written in Kikọ, demonstrating the script’s potential. For updates on new fonts, books, artworks, and more, follow us on Instagram.
Letters
The Kikọ script is written from left to right, with the letters connected to one another. One of the features of the Kikọ script is that same vowels when used in a word do not repeat, they take a combined form depending on the intended written tonal sound. Just as with the latin there are 18 core Consonants, 7 vowels, and 5 nasal vowels. There are more than 12 additional consonants for writing other languages, foreign words, and dialects.
Vowels
Nasal Vowels
Consonants
Some of the Supplemental letters
Tone Marking / Diacritics
Kikọ has 11 ways to denote tones, capturing the full range of spoken Yoruba. As mentioned earlier, identical vowels within a word do not repeat; instead, they take on a ligated, combined form. This streamlines the reading and writing process. See below for a visual guide.
Punctuations
In addition to familiar punctuation marks, here are additional options that can add unique character when typesetting in the Kikọ script.
Resources
Learning to read in this script may be challenging at first, but with regular exposure, your reading and writing speed will improve. The font itself can also affect reading ease—Kikọ Sans One, for instance, was designed as a basic, minimal typeface primarily to test the script's digitization.
Manga / Comic Book
Short Story
What you can do to make Kikọ a success
By showing interest and learning the Kikọ script, you've taken the first step toward its success. The next step is to use it—write in Yoruba frequently, whether short or long passages. Share your writings and artworks in Kikọ, and tag us on Instagram; we’d love to share in the joy it brings you. Spread the word among family and friends. If you’re a teacher, linguist, programmer, researcher, religious practitioner, or anyone with relevant skills who’s interested in seeing the success of this project, please reach out. A few dedicated voices can make all the difference.