Shapes for Sounds

Book excerpt: Twenty-six letters account for the approximately 43 elementary sounds in the English language, which contains close to 500,000 words. Compiled and designed by Timothy Donaldson, "Shapes for Sounds" comprises illustrated charts that track the history and development of the written alphabet and its connection to oral traditions. Donaldson's text also elucidates the connections between speech and written language through his chapters that touch on the organs of speech, the physics of articulation, the naming of letters and the shaping of letters. An established typeface designer, Donaldson taught typography at Stafford College, England, and is a Research Fellow at the University of Lincoln, UK.