This is an abugida-style script, assembled phonetically and easy to write, like others in the Phonological Cyphers series. In this script consonants have a different writing method from the vowels, though both are formed from common and natural penstrokes.
Consonants
The consonants sit on the baseline, rising to an x-height, often with one or two descenders. They are designed to have a uniform width, being that of the m shape, which coincides with the default width of the vowels (which will sit on top of their consonant). The shapes are grouped into phonetic regions, and the pattern of minim strokes shows something of their manner of articulation. Glyphs with looped tails are normally for unvoiced sounds, but are occasionally used for closely related sounds in the series. En-width glyphs have a disconnected stroke at their right which is used for normal-width vowels, but which can be removed when used with the narrower vowel shapes (representing rounded vowels, see below). The ejectives do not take a vowel above, and have ascenders. There are en- and em-width null consonants which can be used to carry vowels in uncommon diphthongs or triphthongs.
Vowels and clusters
These glyphs sit above a consonant, and have a squarer form. The pure vowels are arranged geometrically in a roughly 2×4×2 vowel space, with rounded vowels having a narrower form. The additional stroke shown in the rounded vowels can be removed when used above an n-width consonant.
There are dedicated glyphs for many diphthongs. Additionally, some final-syllabic or mid-cluster consonants can be drawn in this position. See how the [sk] is handled in the script name above. If there is no vowel for the consonant, a horizontal line is drawn above it.
Other markings
The caesurae are logically formed by a null syllable (neither consonant nor vowel), and can be en- or em-width. The vertical stroke is used to show word division, and to help unify the banded nature of the script.
Sample text
This is the Shakespeare transliteration again, the first line of his 18th Sonnet.
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?