Manage and customize your alphabet
- Clarissa Forbes
Introduction
FirstVoices hosts custom, interactive alphabets with many useful and interesting features. Custom alphabets provide features such as:
Custom alphabetization and search in your Dictionary for words and phrases
“Listen to each letter” page for learners to hear the sounds of your language
Alphabet-related games, such as Word Search, Parachute, Wordle
Although this page uses the term “Alphabet”, FirstVoices is able to handle any kind of writing system including syllabics or spirit markers! Check out some of our sites that use these:
With a custom alphabet set up on your site, visitors will be more easily able to find what they are looking for – just like flipping quickly to the B or W sections of a printed dictionary.
Initial setup
It is recommended that you submit an alphabet before publicly launching your language site, otherwise games may not function and your dictionary may appear in a jumbled order.
When setting up the alphabet on your language site for the first time, you will need to submit your alphabet in the form of a spreadsheet (.csv file), which will then be uploaded by FirstVoices staff.
Click here to read more about how to submit your alphabet.
Manage your alphabet from the Dashboard
Once your alphabet letters are uploaded to FirstVoices, the Language Administrator can fill out further information and details from the Dashboard, such as:
Audio or video recordings of a speaker pronouncing the letter
Links to word entries on your site that use the letter
Images or videos that capture the letter
Notes with pronunciation help or background information
These details can be updated or customized at any time. It is recommended that each letter have an attached sound file and/or sample word.
Tutorial video
Steps to manage your alphabet
Only Language Administrators can edit the site alphabet! Check with your FirstVoices team regarding what role and permissions you have on the site.
Log in as a Language Administrator and go to your Dashboard
Click “Edit” in the left sidebar
Click “Edit your Alphabet”
Button to edit your site alphabetChoose the letter you wish to edit and click “Edit” (pencil icon)
On the edit form, add supplementary content to help people understand the letter.
Link example words and phrases under “Related content”
Link audio or video files that provide a sample pronunciation
Link images or add notes with any further details about the letter
Press “Save Changes”
Request changes to your alphabet
FirstVoices alphabets are designed to be set up all at once and left in place. However, there may be situations where the writing system accepted in your community shifts in some way. Or, you may notice an error in the letters that were originally uploaded.
In these situations, you will need to contact FirstVoices staff to request an update to some aspect of your alphabet letters.
Minor updates to your alphabet
A minor update is one that affects just a few letters or expands your existing writing system. It generally does not change how most of your words look.
Examples:
Change a few letters into a different symbol (e.g. ɫ → ł)
Add a missing letter (e.g. forgot ' )
Add uppercase forms to your alphabet, so that uppercase sorts correctly (e.g. add W as a version of w)
Major changes (converting to a new alphabet)
A major update would be one that changes how most words look. An example of major changes could include changing from an alphabet-based writing system to a syllabic writing system (or vice versa), or changing from an English-like practical writing system to an IPA-like system (or vice versa).