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Character Requirements for American (Latin) Orthographies

If a font supports all of the following characters, we believe that most languages in the Americas (that use the Latin script) would be able to typeset texts in their orthography. Note, however, that this list does not include required characters for phonetic description of languages in the Americas, just orthographic use.

There are comments below about glyph variants that may be needed to support some languages.

The process for developing this list was based on the following (in order of process):

  • A review of custom-encoded fonts from the Americas
  • 10+ years’ experience of user support for language support from the Americas
  • A review of annotations in The Unicode Standard charts
  • Decision to include all Codepage 1252 and MacRoman characters
  • Decision to include all Codepage 1145 (LatinAm) characters
  • Decision to include many characters required for publishing (spaces and dashes)
  • Decision that if a combining mark combining mark, such as ◌̣ was required, then all precomposed characters with that mark should also be included. (e.g., a was in the subset, then ạ was also included in the subset, but since ơ was not in the subset, then ợ was not included in the subset).
  • Feedback on the resulting character set
GraphicUSVNameComment
0020
!0021
"0022
#0023
$0024
%0025
&0026
'0027
(0028
)0029
*002A
+002B
,002C
-002D
.002E
/002F
00030
10031
20032
30033
40034
50035
60036
70037
80038
90039
:003A
;003B
<003C
=003D
>003E
?003F
@0040
A0041
B0042
C0043
D0044
E0045
F0046
G0047
H0048
I0049
J004A
K004B
L004C
M004D
N004E
O004F
P0050
Q0051
R0052
S0053
T0054
U0055
V0056
W0057
X0058
Y0059
Z005A
[005B
\005C
]005D
^005E
_005F
`0060
a0061
b0062
c0063
d0064
e0065
f0066
g0067
h0068
i0069
j006A
k006B
l006C
m006D
n006E
o006F
p0070
q0071
r0072
s0073
t0074
u0075
v0076
w0077
x0078
y0079
z007A
{007B
|007C
}007D
~007E
 00A0
¡00A1
¢00A2
£00A3
¤00A4
¥00A5
¦00A6
¨00A8
©00A9
ª00AA
«00AB
¬00AC
­00AD
®00AE
¯00AF
°00B0
²00B2
³00B3
´00B4
µ00B5
00B6
·00B7
¸00B8
¹00B9
º00BA
»00BB
¿00BF
À00C0
Á00C1
Â00C2
Ã00C3
Ä00C4
Å00C5
Æ00C6
Ç00C7
È00C8
É00C9
Ê00CA
Ë00CB
Ì00CC
Í00CD
Î00CE
Ï00CF
Ð00D0
Ñ00D1
Ò00D2
Ó00D3
Ô00D4
Õ00D5
Ö00D6
×00D7
Ø00D8
Ù00D9
Ú00DA
Û00DB
Ü00DC
Ý00DD
Þ00DE
ß00DF
à00E0
á00E1
â00E2
ã00E3
ä00E4
å00E5
æ00E6
ç00E7
è00E8
é00E9
ê00EA
ë00EB
ì00EC
í00ED
î00EE
ï00EF
ð00F0
ñ00F1
ò00F2
ó00F3
ô00F4
õ00F5
ö00F6
÷00F7
ø00F8
ù00F9
ú00FA
û00FB
ü00FC
ý00FD
þ00FE
ÿ00FF
Ā0100
ā0101
Ą0104
ą0105
Ć0106
ć0107
Ĉ0108
ĉ0109
Ċ010A
ċ010B
Č010C
č010D
Ď010E
ď010F
Đ0110
đ0111In the Americas, it is considered best to place the bar through the bowl of the character rather than the stem (see: Bar bowl Variant Glyphs)
Ē0112
ē0113
Ė0116
ė0117
Ę0118
ę0119
Ě011A
ě011B
Ĝ011C
ĝ011D
Ġ0120
ġ0121
Ĥ0124
ĥ0125
Ĩ0128
ĩ0129
Ī012A
ī012B
Į012E
į012F
İ0130
Ĵ0134
ĵ0135
Ĺ0139
ĺ013A
Ľ013D
ľ013E
Ł0141
ł0142
Ń0143
ń0144
Ň0147
ň0148
Ŋ014AAmerican languages are most likely to want a capital eng which is based on the capital N with a hook descender on the right leg (see Uppercase Eng: N-style)
ŋ014B
Ō014C
ō014D
Œ0152
œ0153
Ŕ0154
ŕ0155
Ř0158
ř0159
Ś015A
ś015B
Ŝ015C
ŝ015D
Ş015E
ş015F
Š0160
š0161
Ţ0162
ţ0163
Ť0164
ť0165
Ŧ0166
ŧ0167
Ũ0168
ũ0169
Ū016A
ū016B
Ů016E
ů016F
Ų0172
ų0173
Ŵ0174
ŵ0175
Ŷ0176
ŷ0177
Ÿ0178
Ź0179
ź017A
Ż017B
ż017C
Ž017D
ž017E
ƀ0180In the Americas, it is considered best to place the bar through the bowl of the character rather than the stem (see: Bar bowl Variant Glyphs)
Ɓ0181
Ɔ0186
Ɗ018A
Ə018F
Ɛ0190
Ɨ0197
ƚ019A
ƞ019E
Ɵ019F
Ʋ01B2
Ƴ01B3In the Americas, it is considered best to have a right hook (see Glyph Variant for U+01B3)
ƴ01B4
Ǎ01CD
ǎ01CE
Ǐ01CF
ǐ01D0
Ǒ01D1
ǒ01D2
Ǔ01D3
ǔ01D4
Ǖ01D5
ǖ01D6
Ǘ01D7
ǘ01D8
Ǚ01D9
ǚ01DA
Ǜ01DB
ǜ01DC
Ǟ01DE
ǟ01DF
Ǡ01E0
ǡ01E1
Ǣ01E2
ǣ01E3
Ǥ01E4
ǥ01E5In the Americas, it is considered best to place the bar through the top bowl of the character rather than the bottom bowl (see: Bar bowl Variant Glyphs)
Ǧ01E6
ǧ01E7
Ǩ01E8
ǩ01E9
Ǫ01EA
ǫ01EB
Ǭ01EC
ǭ01ED
ǰ01F0
Ǵ01F4
ǵ01F5
Ǹ01F8
ǹ01F9
Ǻ01FA
ǻ01FB
Ǽ01FC
ǽ01FD
Ǿ01FE
ǿ01FF
Ȟ021E
ȟ021F
Ƞ0220
Ȣ0222
ȣ0223
Ȧ0226
ȧ0227
Ȩ0228
ȩ0229
Ȫ022A
ȫ022B
Ȭ022C
ȭ022D
Ȯ022E
ȯ022F
Ȱ0230
ȱ0231
Ȳ0232
ȳ0233
Ⱥ023A
Ȼ023B
ȼ023C
Ƚ023D
Ⱦ023E
Ɂ0241
ɂ0242
Ƀ0243
Ʉ0244
Ʌ0245
Ɇ0246
ɇ0247
Ɉ0248
ɉ0249
ɓ0253
ɔ0254
ɗ0257
ə0259
ɛ025B
ɨ0268
ɵ0275
ʉ0289
ʋ028B
ʌ028C
ʔ0294
ʻ02BB
ʼ02BC
ˈ02C8Chinantec requires a glyph variant for this character (see Chinantec Variant Glyphs)
ˉ02C9Chinantec requires a glyph variant for this character (see Chinantec Variant Glyphs)
ˊ02CAChinantec requires a glyph variant for this character (see Chinantec Variant Glyphs)
ˋ02CBChinantec requires a glyph variant for this character (see Chinantec Variant Glyphs)
◌̀0300
◌́0301
◌̂0302
◌̃0303
◌̄0304
◌̇0307
◌̈0308
◌̊030A
◌̌030C
◌̍030D
◌̜031C
◌̣0323
◌̧0327
◌̨0328
◌̩0329
◌̯032F
◌̰0330
◌̱0331
◌͇0347
◌͏034F
ᵽ1D7D
Ḃ1E02
ḃ1E03
Ḅ1E04
ḅ1E05
Ḇ1E06
ḇ1E07
Ḉ1E08
ḉ1E09
Ḋ1E0A
ḋ1E0B
Ḍ1E0C
ḍ1E0D
Ḏ1E0E
ḏ1E0F
Ḕ1E14
ḕ1E15
Ḗ1E16
ḗ1E17
Ḛ1E1A
ḛ1E1B
Ḟ1E1E
ḟ1E1F
Ḡ1E20
ḡ1E21
Ḣ1E22
ḣ1E23
Ḥ1E24
ḥ1E25
Ḧ1E26
ḧ1E27
Ḩ1E28
ḩ1E29
Ḭ1E2C
ḭ1E2D
Ḯ1E2E
ḯ1E2F
Ḱ1E30
ḱ1E31
Ḳ1E32
ḳ1E33
Ḵ1E34
ḵ1E35
Ḷ1E36
ḷ1E37
Ḹ1E38
ḹ1E39
Ḻ1E3A
ḻ1E3B
Ḿ1E3E
ḿ1E3F
Ṁ1E40
ṁ1E41
Ṃ1E42
ṃ1E43
Ṅ1E44
ṅ1E45
Ṇ1E46
ṇ1E47
Ṉ1E48
ṉ1E49
Ṍ1E4C
ṍ1E4D
Ṏ1E4E
ṏ1E4F
Ṑ1E50
ṑ1E51
Ṓ1E52
ṓ1E53
Ṕ1E54
ṕ1E55
Ṗ1E56
ṗ1E57
Ṙ1E58
ṙ1E59
Ṛ1E5A
ṛ1E5B
Ṝ1E5C
ṝ1E5D
Ṟ1E5E
ṟ1E5F
Ṡ1E60
ṡ1E61
Ṣ1E62
ṣ1E63
Ṥ1E64
ṥ1E65
Ṧ1E66
ṧ1E67
Ṩ1E68
ṩ1E69
Ṫ1E6A
ṫ1E6B
Ṭ1E6C
ṭ1E6D
Ṯ1E6E
ṯ1E6F
Ṵ1E74
ṵ1E75
Ṹ1E78
ṹ1E79
Ṻ1E7A
ṻ1E7B
Ṽ1E7C
ṽ1E7D
Ṿ1E7E
ṿ1E7F
Ẁ1E80
ẁ1E81
Ẃ1E82
ẃ1E83
Ẅ1E84
ẅ1E85
Ẇ1E86
ẇ1E87
Ẉ1E88
ẉ1E89
Ẋ1E8A
ẋ1E8B
Ẍ1E8C
ẍ1E8D
Ẏ1E8E
ẏ1E8F
Ẑ1E90
ẑ1E91
Ẓ1E92
ẓ1E93
Ẕ1E94
ẕ1E95
ẖ1E96
ẗ1E97
ẘ1E98
ẙ1E99
Ạ1EA0
ạ1EA1
Ấ1EA4
ấ1EA5
Ầ1EA6
ầ1EA7
Ẫ1EAA
ẫ1EAB
Ậ1EAC
ậ1EAD
Ẹ1EB8
ẹ1EB9
Ẽ1EBC
ẽ1EBD
Ế1EBE
ế1EBF
Ề1EC0
ề1EC1
Ễ1EC4
ễ1EC5
Ệ1EC6
ệ1EC7
Ị1ECA
ị1ECB
Ọ1ECC
ọ1ECD
Ố1ED0
ố1ED1
Ồ1ED2
ồ1ED3
Ỗ1ED6
ỗ1ED7
Ộ1ED8
ộ1ED9
Ụ1EE4
ụ1EE5
Ỳ1EF2
ỳ1EF3
Ỵ1EF4
ỵ1EF5
Ỹ1EF8
ỹ1EF9
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007
 2008
 2009
 200A
​200B
‌200C
‍200D
‎200E
‏200F
‐2010
‑2011
‒2012
–2013
—2014
―2015
‘2018
’2019
‚201A
‛201B
“201C
”201D
‟201F
†2020
‡2021
•2022
․2024
‥2025
…2026
‧2027

2028

2029
‪202A
‫202B
‬202C
‭202D
‮202E
 202F
‹2039
›203A
⁠2060
⁰2070
⁴2074
⁵2075
⁶2076
⁷2077
⁸2078
⁹2079
₡20A1
₢20A2
€20AC
₲20B2
₳20B3
™2122
◌25CC
Ᵽ2C63
ⱥ2C65
ⱦ2C66
ꜗA717These should be designed to go with U+02C8, U+02C9, U+02CA and U+02CB (see Chinantec Variant Glyphs)
ꜘA718These should be designed to go with U+02C8, U+02C9, U+02CA and U+02CB (see Chinantec Variant Glyphs)
ꜙA719These should be designed to go with U+02C8, U+02C9, U+02CA and U+02CB (see Chinantec Variant Glyphs)
ꜚA71AThese should be designed to go with U+02C8, U+02C9, U+02CA and U+02CB (see Chinantec Variant Glyphs)
ꞋA78B
ꞌA78C
ffFB00
fiFB01
flFB02
ffiFB03
fflFB04
�FFFD

This article formerly appeared on ScriptSource.