polygraphic character set

noun
UK /ˌpɒlɪˈɡræfɪk ˈkærəktə sɛt/
US /ˌpɑːlɪˈɡræfɪk ˈkærəktər sɛt/

A polygraphic character set is a group of letters or symbols that can stand for more than one sound.

The polygraphic character set includes combinations like 'sh' and 'ch' that make special sounds.

SYNONYMS

multigraph setdigraph collectionletter combination setcomplex character group

RELATED WORDS

digraphtrigraphphonemeorthographygrapheme

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A set of written symbols in which a single symbol can represent multiple spoken sounds.

Linguists studied the polygraphic character set to understand how one letter could sound different in different words.

3. A collection of character combinations used in a writing system to encode complex phonetic values.

The ancient script's polygraphic character set made decoding the language quite challenging.

4. In computing, a character set where multiple code points combine to form a single displayed glyph.

The font's polygraphic character set allowed special symbols to be built from several basic characters.