Editing Klingon language (section)

==Writing systems==
{{Main|Klingon writing systems}}
[[File:Qapla'.svg|thumb|left|{{mono |Qaplaʼ}} (success)]]

When written in the Latin alphabet, Klingon is unusual in being [[case-sensitive]], with some letters written in capitals and others in lowercase.
For example, ''{{mono |q}}'' and ''{{mono |Q}}'' are an actual case-sensitive pair representing two different consonants.
Capitals are generally reserved for uvular or retroflex consonants pronounced further back in the mouth or throat than is normal for the corresponding English sounds, as with ''{{mono |D}}'', ''{{mono |Q}}'', and ''{{mono |S}}''.
The letter ''{{mono |H}}'', pronounced like the {{angle brackets|ch}} in German "ach" or Scottish "loch", is further forward in the throat than English /h/.

One phoneme, the vowel ''{{mono |I}}'', is written capital to look more like the IPA symbol for the sound /ɪ/, and can pose problems when writing Klingon in sans-serif fonts such as [[Arial]], as it looks almost the same as the consonant ''{{mono |l}}''.
This has led some Klingon enthusiasts to write it lowercase like the other vowels ("i") to prevent confusion, but this use is non-canonical. Instead, a serif font that clearly distinguishes "{{mono |I}}" and "{{mono |l}}", such as [[Courier (font)|Courier]] or [[Courier New]], has traditionally been employed for writing Klingon in the Latin alphabet. In any case, it can be disambiguated through context, as {{mono |I}} never occurs next to another vowel, while {{mono |l}} always does.

The apostrophe, denoting the [[glottal stop]], is considered a letter, not a punctuation mark, as with the [[ʻOkina|ʻokina]] in the [[Hawaiian alphabet]].
: '''{{mono |a b ch D e gh H I j l m n ng o p q Q r S t tlh u v w y ʼ}}'''

Klingon is often written in ([[in-universe]], "transliterated to") the [[Latin alphabet]] as used above, but on the television series, the Klingons use their own alien writing system. In ''The Klingon Dictionary'', this alphabet is named ''{{mono |pIqaD}}'', but no information is given about it. When Klingon symbols are used in ''Star Trek'' productions, they are merely decorative graphic elements, designed to emulate real [[writing]] and create an appropriate atmosphere. Enthusiasts have settled on the name {{mono |pIqaD}} for this writing system.

The Astra Image Corporation designed the symbols currently used to "write" Klingon for ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'', although these symbols are often incorrectly attributed to [[Michael Okuda]].{{efn|See:
*Symbols attributed to Okuda: the [[Klingon Language Institute]]'s ''Klingon FAQ'' (edited by d'Armond Speers), [https://web.archive.org/web/20041012093544/http://higbee.cots.net/~holtej/klingon/faq.htm#2.13 question 2.13] by Will Martin (August 18, 1994).
*Symbols ''incorrectly'' attributed to Okuda: KLI founder Lawrence M. Schoen's [https://www.kli.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Orthography.pdf "On Orthography" (PDF)], citing J. Lee's "An Interview with Michael Okuda" in the KLI's journal ''HolQeD'' 1.1 (March 1992), p. 11.
*Symbols actually designed by Astra Image Corporation: Michael Everson's [[#note-2|Proposal...<sup>[3]</sup>]]}} They based the letters on the [[Klingon starships|Klingon battlecruiser]] hull markings (three letters) first created by [[Matt Jefferies]] and on [[Tibetan script|Tibetan writing]] because the script has sharp letter forms—used as a testament to the Klingons' love for knives and blades.

For [[April Fools' Day]] in 2013, [[Nokia]] and the typography company [[Dalton Maag]] claimed to have used "communication devices to far-flung star systems"<ref name="Pure Klingon">{{cite web |url=http://brandbook.nokia.com/blog/view/item80143/ |publisher=Nokia |title=Pure Klingon |date=April 1, 2013 |access-date=November 23, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130406025926/http://brandbook.nokia.com/blog/view/item80143/ |archive-date=April 6, 2013}}</ref> to assist them in localizing the [[Nokia Pure]] font of the Klingon writing system. Though the explanation was of course humorous in nature, as part of the [[practical joke]], a series of real fonts based upon the most commonly used ''{{mono |pIqaD}}'' character mapping were in fact developed, and have been made available for free download.<ref name="Pure Klingon"/>