Language in the Splatoon series

Conjecture

This article or section involves something that has not been specifically named.
The name(s) presented could be conjectural.

Inkling, also referred to as squid language, is the language in which Inklings in the Splatoon series communicate. While individual letters, words, and the occasional phrase are often similar to real-life languages, Inkling as a whole has been confirmed by Splatoon developers to be almost entirely random. However, it has been discovered that there are several scripts which are decipherable.

Inkling is also sometimes referred to by fans as "Inklish", which is a combination of the words "English" and "Inkling".

Appearance

Across the games, numerous fictitious scripts used in the game's world can be observed, ranging from unique glyphs to ones resembling human scripts like Japanese, Arabic and Cyrillic. Speech-wise, Inkling speech does not seem to possess any deeper meaning that would correspond to the species' written language, aside from certain voice clips resembling Japanese or English words at times. Ultimately, it is indecipherable high-pitched gurgling.

Scripts

What we call a script is a consistent set of characters that is used in a sufficient number of places throughout the game, as opposed to characters that are not used recurrently which are not considered a script. This is often the case with company logos for example, where the letters appear to be unique to the logo design and don't show up anywhere else.

When characters do appear consistently enough to be considered a script, it has been discovered that many of those are decipherable. Scripts that are decipherable have each fictitious letter correspond to the letters of the Latin alphabet; this is referred to as "deciphered" when talking about occurrences of these scripts in the game.

However, this order is not the only way in which the developers apply the scripts to in-world text. Another method used is to forgo the actual meaning of the script and pick characters based on how closely they resemble the Latin letters. This method is referred to as "mimicking".

Example of a script being used to mimic a word

An example would be the cover artwork of Turquoise October from Splatoon. In this case, the square script at the bottom is used in a way to mimic the band's name, even though this is not the actual meaning of the letters based on the deciphered version of the script. The twenty-fourth Sunken Scroll from Splatoon 2 is an example of the same script being used in a way that can be deciphered, which does not resemble what the text would look like in the Latin alphabet. With few exceptions, any situation in which fictitious letters seem to resemble an English word most likely does not reflect the true meaning of the script, and should not be used as a basis for deciphering work.

There are also situations in which scripts are used neither to mimic, nor in its deciphered order, but in a scrambled manner. In these situations, characters are rotated, flipped, or even slightly altered to display gibberish text. In text where characters are rotated, flipped, or altered in ways that should not exist going off of the cipher, this text is to be considered meaningless.

Lastly, the glyphs that resemble characters from other human languages, such as Japanese or Arabic, are not known to have a proper decipherable form.

Focusing on the usage of the deciphered versions of the scripts, there are also different languages in which the scripts may be written. While most of the time the developers write in English, there are also frequent occurrences where the scripts are used to write romanized Japanese.

Readable texts from known scripts

Bold script

This script resembles the typeface primarily used in Splatoon for dialogue. It appears in both games and is widely used on clothes and weapons. The bold script is most commonly used to mimic words or to write gibberish, which is why it was assumed to be indecipherable for many years. Examples of this script can be seen on the Splatfest Tee, where it is always used to mimic the text for the Splatfest team's name. This script is unique for having both an uppercase and lowercase form. Which symbol corresponds to v in lowercase bold script is currently unknown.

Deciphered

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	TOKI MEKI BOMB☆RUSH	The logo seen on the Squid Sisters' trucks when Callie performs Bomb Rush Blush. Refers to the Japanese name of the song, トキメキ☆ボムラッシュ Tokimeki☆Bomu Rasshu.
	IM NURANEB, Aori Hotaru	The logo seen on the Squid Sisters' trucks when they perform Now or Never!. Misspells the Japanese name of the song, イマ・ヌラネバー！ Ima Nuranebā!. "Aori" is Callie's Japanese name while "Hotaru" is Marie's Japanese name.
	the FOOD TRUCK handbook	From Sunken Scroll 4 in Splatoon 2. The remaining bold script as well as the serif and halfmoon script writings on here are gibberish.
	Open! Wakamono no tyushin Haikara Square no Iccacha ga grand open!	This is romanized Japanese, and it translates to English as "The Shoal's having a grand opening at the heart of youth culture, Inkopolis Square!" From Sunken Scroll 10 in Splatoon 2.
	newsardh ineirpori Aori kita, Shinsouya IKAnisite!?, _aininki kyuugyounouwa_an!	Top right caption has misspellings, but means "Callie came to New Sardine Airport".
	ANEMO Produce, tyotto mezurashi Gear Shop	The logo for the Splatnet gear shop run by Annie. "Anemo" is Annie's name in the Japanese version of Splatoon. "Tyotto mezurashi" means "a little rare."
	GAS, OPEN	A sign present in Scorch Gorge.
File:Jelfonzo concept art.JPG	YOU SUCK	Shown in concept art for Jelfonzo in The Art of Splatoon 2, on the green and pink shirt on the right of the image.
File:Jelfonzo shirt concept art.JPG	Hime, tentacles	Shown in concept art for Jelfonzo in The Art of Splatoon 2, on the bonus "Comic-style" shirts. "Hime" is Pearl's name in Japan, "tentacles" is the name of Off the Hook in Japan.
File:Sheldon concept art s2.PNG	SQUID, SNIPER	From concept art for Sheldon in The Art of Splatoon 2. The "Squid" text is on a badge for being fluent in the Inkling language. The "Sniper" text is on a badge from a secret shooting event.
File:Squid sisters autograph.PNG	iwilldomybest ikayoroshiku, saitamasuprarena letsgo	The Squid Sisters' autographs from Shiokalive at Cho Party 2016, pulled from The Art of Splatoon 2. Ika, yoroshiku is the Squid Sisters' catchphrase in Japanese. Saitama Super Arena is the venue that hosted Niconico Cho Party.
File:Cuttlefish Idol.jpg	pop pop pop, hakkisyon!, Bye bye	Text on the Cuttlefish Idols' album, possibly their songs.
File:Sheet record haikara walker.PNG	DINAMIC RECORD INCE, mukashikan, shinkai daisuki band	The text on the top right record is likely a misspelling of "DYNAMIC RECORD INC." The bottom left design's text, "mukashikan", means "long-ago time period." The bottom right design's text, "shinkai daisuki band," translates as something to the effect of "band that loves the deep sea." From designs on the sheet records floating in the background of Cratebuster Station and Matchmaker Station in Octo Expansion, specifically the bottom left design. Image pulled from HaikaraWalker.
File:Nialuub sign Inkopolis Square.jpg	nialuub	The text says "nialuub" in all lowercase.
	RFDAY	Likely derived from a mispelling of "birthday" as "birfday." The first word on the Eel-Cake Hat mimics the "happy" in "happy birthday."
	AORI SHISSOU, KANOJO NO YUKUEHA	Aori is Callie's Japanese name. "AORI SHISSOU" means "Callie is missing," and "KANOJO NO YUKUEHA"　means "what will become of her?"
File:FRESH FRUIT.png	fresh fruit	Sign seen in MakoMart on top of a fruit stall. The characters are upside down.

Mimicked words

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
File:Splatfest Team Water Slide Shirt Text.jpg	WATER SLIDE, CAT, DOG	Nearly all Splatfest Tees have readable words. A few examples are listed here. For more images of Splatfest Tees, see Splatfest team tees from Splatoon and Splatfest team tees from Splatoon 2.
	TOWER RECORDS HICOLOR	Billboard present in Inkopolis Square.
	60% OFF	A MakoMart ad shown on a screen in Inkopolis Square.
File:Splatoon Sunken Scroll cover.png	COQUIS	A parody of Croquis brand sketchbooks. From the cover of the Sunken Scroll scrapbook in Splatoon.
	HPPY	The first word on the Eel-Cake Hat mimics the "happy" in "happy birthday" the second word doesn't as clearly mimic the word "BIRTHDAY", and instead translates to "RFDAY"
File:Bomb Rush Blush Splat Bomb.jpegFile:Bomb Rush Blush Suction Bomb.jpeg	AORI	Mimicry of Callie's Japanese name, Aori. Seen on the bombs tossed in Tide Goes Out (mission).

Square script

This script appears in Splatoon, Splatoon 2 and in promotional material for Splatoon 3. This script is widely used for various applications, e.g. on weapons, clothes, Sunken Scrolls, and buildings, and it is often used for large bodies of text such as in the descriptions of Museum d'Alfonsino and Shellendorf Institute. There are numerous additional symbols associated with the square script that do not appear in its deciphered form. The Sunken Scrolls reveal it is also the text used in Inkling social media, and it is also used in Octarian weapon blueprints. It is also present throughout the Deepsea Metro. This wide application suggests it may be a language understood by several species. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: L and V, G and W, D and X, F and Y, and H and Z.

Deciphered

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	www.seaocolors.com	Located at the bottom of the poster. The remaining square script text is gibberish.
	See images for meaning.	The entirety of Sunken Scroll 24 is in odd, but readable, English. See images for more details.
	FLIGHT IKA AIRLINES, PASSENGER MIURA, SEAT, DEPARTURE	"Miura" is Flow's name in Japanese. From Sunken Scroll 7 in Splatoon 2.
	#morning coffe #bed #lazy ledgs #capuccino, #avocado toast #fresh #california #ika moyou #eff, #travel #love #foever #sunlight #girl friend	Hashtags are listed from left to right, misspellings are left as is. The tag ika moyou means "squid design", referring to the squid-shaped egg yolk. From Sunken Scroll 12 in Splatoon 2.
File:Squid Beatz 2 title.jpg	HOGEGAMES	"HOGE" is a word used as a placeholder in computer programming, like "foobar."
	TAKOOCTORING	From a promotional poster for Squid vs. Octopus (2018), appearing in the side and at the first word at the bottom of the image. Appears to be a combination of "Tako", the Japanese word for "octopus", and "Octoling". The rest of the square script at the bottom appears to be gibberish.
File:GATI poster inkopolis square.PNG	BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS, GATI, AKATEAM VS MIDORI, SATURDAY FEBURARY 15 7PM	A poster found in Inkopolis Square. "GATI" seems to be an odd romanization of gachi, referring to the Japanese name for Ranked Battle, ガチマッチ Gachi Matchi. Aka means "red" and midori means green. "February" is misspelled on the poster. The remaining text is gibberish.
	POWERFUL BODY!	From HaikaraWalker (page 227). Description of a horticultural medicine seen attached to tree trunks in the Octo Expansion.
	KINIKURA NO SHAKE SUGOI METYA KINPIKA	Tranlates from Japanese into English as "Golden Egg Salmonid, incredibly golden and shiny." Goldie concept art from The Art of Splatoon 2.
	CAL LIE, DJ OCTAVIO, SAMURAI	"Callie" is written on the Octo Samurai's jacket front, "DJ Octavio" on the back and "Samurai" on his Octocycle. In The Art of Splatoon 2, it was mentioned he is a big fan of Callie.
File:Spawn point s2 models resource.png	RESPAWN	Branding on Splatoon 2's spawn point.
	BANKARA STREET SD	The green street name sign alludes to Splatsville's name in Japan.
	KIMI IRO NI SOMETE	The Japanese name of the song Ink Me Up.
File:Mothership Model.png	SALMONBIA	Text found on the side of the Mothership, possibly related to the Salmonid army as a whole. This same text is written on the frying pans held by lesser Salmonids.
File:Off the Hook Intro.jpg	HIGHCOLORTV	The small text on the top left corner of the in-game screen. Highcolor City is the Japanese name of Inkopolis. This same text is also present in the bottom left corner of Off the Hook's television during their broadcast, albeit only when there are no other images being shown on the screen.
	NO GONIN NO IKA GA ORINASU COOL NA MO, SORE HA ARU-AA-I NATU NO HIN JUINO DAKIN-OTO DATTA. DAI GAKUSEI -- -ATTA IKATARO U JUA SA R-UR- NO SASSHUKU NI. SANKA SHITEITA --KODE AR U JUITORINO OB NO O-KKOGA SAKANA WO TOTTA SONO SA	A poster found in Inkopolis Square, near Crusty Sean's truck. Dashes are use in place of unreadable symbols. The first sentence translates as something to the effect of "The 5 Inklings are woven with coolness." Readable words after that translate to "that" "summer day" "was" "university student" "participated," and the final line reads "took the fish."
	SPORTS CENTER AT HUJITSUBO	The square script letters appearing on this poster advertise a sports center. "hujitsubo" is an alternate romanization of fujitsubo, which part of the Japanese name for Musselforge Fitness, フジツボスポーツクラブ fujitsubo supōtsu kurab.
	BASKET BALL LEAGUE DA	Advertisement shown on the hanging screen in Goby Arena. The bottom text is difficult to see in the screenshot, but is more clearly visible on the texture.
	ROWLY!!!	A missing pet poster depicting a nudibranch found in Inkopolis Square.
File:IHOPE YOU electrical box thing.jpg	IHOPE YOU	The text with the red background says "IHOPE YOU".
	AORI KIKAN YOKATTA	Aori is Callie's Japanese name. Translates to "Good to have Callie back."
	SOSHINA TOWEL	A towel that was available as a My Nintendo Reward. Soshina means "small gift."
	PIONEER GOOD	On the small black logo on the bottom right of Front Roe's album art.
	SOMETHING TEXT SPLATOON	On the bottom left of the communication error pop-up and the bottom right of the map rotation, both times next to a barcode. It can also be seen when waiting for a spot to open up when joining a friend, as it uses the same image as the communication error.

Mimicked words

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	TURQUOIS OCTOBER	Turquoise October album jacket from Splatoon.
File:S2 Band Turquoise October.jpg	OCT TOOL	Turquoise October album jacket from Splatoon 2.
	消カ器	Text written on what appears to be a fire extinguisher cabinet on Hammerhead Bridge. Appears to read 消火器 shōkaki, which means "fire extinguisher," but with the "ka" written in katakana instead of kanji.

Round script

This script appears in Splatoon and Splatoon 2. It is mostly used on buildings, signs and posters. This script is distinct in that its deciphered form resembles Latin script. Despite this, it is still sometimes used to mimic words.

Deciphered

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	ON AIR	From the studio where Inkopolis News is filmed.
	LIVE, niconicochokaici, SHIOKARAZ	The "niconicochokaici" is in small text at the top, and alludes to "niconico chokaigi". "LIVE" is at the top part of the poster. "SHIOKARAZ" Refers to the Japanese name of the Squid Sisters.
	UFO CATCHER	From the arcade machine directly next to where the player can access Squid Beatz 2 in Inkopolis Square. This references the line of Japanese claw machines manufactured by Sega. The text underneath it appears to not be round script but instead seems to be attempting to mimic Japanese.
	LI VE, HICOLOR	From the official art for Haicalive at Tokaigi 2018. HICOLOR refers to the Japanese name of Inkopolis, Haikara.
	IDATEN	From the iShipIt logo. Idaten (Skanda) is a bodhisattva known for his fast running. The Japanese name of iShipIt, Ikaten Transport (イカテン急便), is a pun on ika (squid) and Idaten.
	GAS	Written on the labels of the Suction Bombs. Cut off in the example image.
	MARGINAL VISIT	Text above the logo of a famous oil company in the Splatoon world. As "marginal visit" does not have any real meaning, it is likely meant to be filler text.
File:Jelfonzo tuesday shirt.JPG	F*** YOU	The infamous obscene shirt Jelfonzo wears on Tuesdays. It is not censored in game.
File:Jelfonzo concept art.JPG	HELLO	Shown in concept art for Jelfonzo in The Art of Splatoon 2, on the white shirt with the gold mouth on it.
File:Sheldon concept art s2.PNG	HONORS THE CONTRIBUTION HSQ, OFFICIAL DEALING HSQ, CLASS S CHAMPS HNBA	From concept art for Sheldon in The Art of Splatoon 2. Text listed from the badges shown from top to bottom. "HSQ" Is an abbreviation of Haikara Square, the Japanese name for Inkopolis Square. "HNBA" Refers to Haikara NawaBari Association, with Haikara being the Japanese name for Inkopolis, and nawabari being the Japanese name for Turf War.
File:Long carrot tee back.PNG	OPQRSTU, DEFGHIJKLMN	Long strings of text in alphabetical order, with the OPQR line on top and the DEFG line on bottom.
File:Bubble Tape Strawberry Mint and Mystery.png	BUBBLE GUM, HACE MINT, ???	The text on containers of Bubble Tape in Slow Ride Station and Wassup 8-Ball Station. The strawberry gum has round script text on it, but it's unidentifiable.
File:Bubble Tape Blossom and Lemon.png	ENPERA	The text on containers of Bubble Tape in Slow Ride Station and Wassup 8-Ball Station. Enpera means "squid fin," as the fruit shown on the packaging is called a squid-fin lemon in English.
	KLMNOPQRABCDEFGHIJ	Text on the CDs in Mad Props Station and Stick 'n' Move Station. The text is dummy text, and the Serif Script on the disc means the same thing.
	SCALLOP	Under the rainbow logo on the bottom right of Front Roe's album art. This same "Scallop" logo appears on signs in Inkopolis Square, and is associated with musical equipment.

Mimicked words

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	SALE, ANNVESAR	A MakoMart ad show on a screen in Inkopolis Square, alluding to an anniversary sale.
	SUPER PRICE	Picture shown on a screen hanging from the ceiling of MakoMart.
	STAY FRESH	Picture shown on a screen hanging from the ceiling of MakoMart.
	Mr. SHRUG	Text on the Mister Shrug Tee. The symbol used to represent "Mr." is not found in the deciphered form of round script. Following the cipher, the second word would read SNRUG.
	OCTPUS	Logo of a music equipment company in the Splatoon world. while the letters O, T, P, and U match round script's lettering, the C and S do not.
File:Bubble Tape Blossom and Lemon.png	BLOSSOM CHERRY	The text on containers of Bubble Tape in Slow Ride Station and Wassup 8-Ball Station. It may also be a misspelling of "passion berry," and it may be a passion fruit on the packaging.
	GIFT SHOP	Sign seen in the background of Goby Arena.

Bubble script

Compared to the previously listed scripts, "bubble" is rarely used. It has not yet been used to mimic any words in English or Japanese. It is often used to write complete gibberish. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: A and R, S and B, C and T, D and U, E and V, F and W, G and X, H and Y, and K and Z.

Deciphered

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	SU MISO AE NIGHT	The logo seen on the Squid Sisters' trucks when Marie performs Tide Goes Out. Refers to the Japanese name of the song, スミソアエの夜 Sumisoae no Yoru, instead using the English translation of yoru, "night."
	AVOCADO TOAST	Text found on the image in the middle. From Sunken Scroll 12 found in Octo Canyon.
	TAKONINARERUKO	Tako ni nareru ko means "A kid who could be an octopus." From a promotional poster for Squid vs. Octopus (2018), appearing in the green box on the bottom right of the image.
	YAPPARIIKAGASUKI	Yappari ika ga suki means "I like squid as always." From a promotional poster for Squid vs. Octopus (2018), appearing in the pink box on the bottom right of the image.
	BCDE MNOPQ GHIJK	Text on the Orange Cardigan.
File:Jelfonzo shirt concept art.JPG	YOU SUCK	Shown in concept art of Jelfonzo's shirts in The Art of Splatoon 2. This exact version of this shirt was not used in the final version of the game.
File:Jelfonzo concept art.JPG	KISS ME	Shown in concept art for Jelfonzo in The Art of Splatoon 2, on the yellow shirt on the right of the image.
	SHIATA HAIKA	Shown on a poster in Inkopolis Square, on the right side of the image. May be a romanization of "Theater Haika," with "Haika" being short for "Haikara," the Japanese name for Inkopolis.
File:Sheet record haikara walker.PNG	IKATO OCHADEMO	Possibly supposed to be ika to oc ha demo, with oc short for "octopus," making the meaning "Squid and Octopus demo." From a design on the sheet records floating in the background of Cratebuster Station and Matchmaker Station in Octo Expansion, specifically the bottom left design. Image pulled from HaikaraWalker.

Runic script

"Runic" script appears in various places, notably in some Sunken Scrolls. It is sometimes used in longer bodies of gibberish text. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: C and W, D and U, E and N, I and Y, and O and Z. Which symbols correspond to v and x in the runic script are currently unknown.

Deciphered

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	IKASUGRAM	The header of the website. Combines the words "Instagram" with ikasu, "fresh." From Sunken Scroll 22.
	KANIDER	On Bisk's guitar pick. Kani means "crab" in Japanese. From Sunken Scroll 6 in Splatoon 2.
	ZOO PLANKTON AKTO ZAKOU	The largest text in the middle of the page on the right. Sunken Scroll 14 seems to be written in romanized Japanese. AKTO may be a misspelling of something, ZAKOU means "small fish." What can be made out from the remaining text on the scroll is that it is about research into microorganisms, but unfortunately the text is small and littered with misspellings, making translation extremely difficult.
	FINAL	Logo seen in banners and the hanging screen present in Goby Arena.
	HIGH COLOR SHINKA	Logo for City of Color, which is projected onto the trucks that the Squid Sisters perform concerts on at Inkopolis Plaza. The text matches the Japanese name of the song.
File:Sheldon concept art s2.PNG	FISH	From concept art for Sheldon in The Art of Splatoon 2. The "FISH" text is on a badge for being fluent in other species' languages, implying that runic script is a writing system used by fish. Evidently, however, the various scripts have not been consistently used with any single species.
	TATAKAI, MUKASHI NO MIMI NO NAGAI IKIMONO TO IKA SONO TATAKAI NO YOUSU WO _ MONO DEATA	Plaque describing a folding screen exhibited in Skipper Pavilion, with a painting seemingly depicting a battle between a squid and a rabbit (here called an "ancient being with long ears"). One of the words has proven to be too difficult to read and decipher due to the low res of the texture.
	SUPISUQUKO REKORDS	Text written around the rainbow logo on the bottom right of Front Roe's album art. The "REKORDS" text is upside down.

Serif script

"Serif" script is nicknamed as such for how it resembles letters with serifs on them. Appears in many places. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: F and U, I and X, J and Y, I and Y, and E, T and Z share one symbol.

Deciphered

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	HOTARU'S GOKAKU MAMORI	A gōkaku mamori refers to a kind of good luck amulet used to pass exams. Hotaru is Marie's Japanese name. From Sunken Scroll 20.
	IKASGRAM, 3 HOURS AGO, FRESH, HIKARI ISIMOTI, IKA KAWAII, IKETERU IKA	IKASGRAM combines "Instagram" with ikasu, "fresh." It could also be playing on the word ika, "squid." FRESH seems to replace the follow button. The last three listed meanings are the usernames. Hikari is a common Japanese first name, meaning "light." Ishimoti is the Japanese word for a white croaker. Ika kawaii means "squid cute." Iketeru ika means "Stylish squid." From Sunken Scroll 12 in Splatoon 2.
	MEDIUM	On Bisk's guitar pick. From Sunken Scroll 6 in Splatoon 2.
File:Green Cardigan back.png	ABCDEF, DEFGHIJKLMN	On the back of the Green Cardigan.
	WAKAME NO KIMOCHI, KAISOU	In the logo of a gear franchise in the Splatoon world. Translates to "The feeling of wakame, seagrass"
	AOWOTA MEMORY	Logo for Maritime Memory, which is projected onto the trucks that the Squid Sisters perform concerts on at Inkopolis Plaza. Ao means blue, and wota may be an odd romanization of "water."
	VOGUE	The header for the interview with Pearl in Octotune.
File:Sheet record haikara walker.PNG	TANOSH	This text on the top right design is possibly supposed to be tanoshii, which means "fun" or "pleasant." From a design on the sheet records floating in the background of Cratebuster Station and Matchmaker Station in Octo Expansion. Image pulled from HaikaraWalker.
File:Bubble Tape Strawberry Mint and Mystery.png	BUBBLE GUM	The text on the back of Bubble Tape containers in Slow Ride Station and Wassup 8-Ball Station. The Cherry Blossom and Squidfin Lemon containers also have the same text.
	ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS, 1. ABCDEF, 2. GHIJKL, 3. MNOPQRS,	Text on the CDs in Mad Props Station and Stick 'n' Move Station. The text is dummy text, and the Round Script on the disc means the same thing.
	SANTA MARIA	Seen on the hull of Manta Maria, being also present on one of the walls near the central mast.

Halfmoon script

"Halfmoon" script is primarily used in place of a headline. Notably, it appears on the cover of HaikaraWalker. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: A and H, B and S, D and G, E and M, F and U, I and W, J and X, K and Y, and L and Z. Which symbol corresponds to v in halfmoon script is currently unknown.

Deciphered

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	HIKARA	The in-game version of HaikaraWalker.
	SEAOCOLORS AORI	Used as the newspaper's headline. From Sunken Scroll 21.
	BANKARA	Reference to Splatsville's name in Japanese. Present only on the Return of the Mammalians trailer, the writing seems to have been removed in newer versions of the map, although the cubic objects still remain.
	NOURISHING	From HaikaraWalker (page 227). Description of a horticultural medicine seen attached to tree trunks in the Octo Expansion.
	THANK YOU FOR IIKA FUNK	Text present on the inside of the Squid or Octo series shoe box.
	HIGH COLOR	Logo for the Calamari Inkantation, which is projected onto the trucks that the Squid Sisters perform concerts on at Inkopolis Plaza.
File:Cuttlefish Idol.jpg	COIKARS	Possibly a combination of "Kouika," golden cuttlefish, and "Gals." This is most likely the name of the cuttlefish group.
File:Sheet record haikara walker.PNG	JAZZ ARANGE MIX	Text is one the top right image. From a design on the sheet records floating in the background of Cratebuster Station and Matchmaker Station in Octo Expansion. Image pulled from HaikaraWalker.

Deepsea stencil script

This script made its debut in the Octo Expansion and is one of the most frequently used scripts there. The symbols used in order were shown for this script in HaikaraWalker. Despite much of the letter's similarity to the latin alphabet, truly deciphering this script is not as straightforward as it may seem. This script is seldom used for anything other than bold text meant to be read by the player or for complete gibberish. In those cases where the texts are readable, characters are often swapped and rotated for the sake of mimicry. The only reliable way to "decipher" this script is to find strings of text written Deepsea stencil that were not meant to be noticed by the player, and therefore were typed into place by the designer, rather than signage where the letters were likely carefully picked and chosen to mimic words.

So far, there is one nonsensical string of text that has been found written in Deepsea stencil that fits that description: "WEDDING PORTRAITS RESTRATION DIDITAL PRINTING ID PASSPORT VIDEO TRANSFER FAX COPIES". This string of text is only found written in a small font, and crops up wholly or partially across multiple signs and posters in the Deepsea Metro to fill space. Thus, the "deciphered" form of Deepsea stencil script is solely based on letters found in that string of text.

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	Mission Clear, Number 10008	Seen in the text surrounding the "TEST PASSED!" text.
	NOTICE, 24 HO8 VDEO	Corruption of "24 HOUR VIDEO".
File:Undersea poster.JPG	PRINTING ID PASSPORT VIDEO TRANSFER FAX COPIES	This string of text is used as filler on some posters and signage in the Octo Expansion.
	NOTICE, 24 HOR VDEO	Another corruption of "24 HOUR VIDEO".

Mimicked words

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	WELCOME to DeepSea	This sign seems to mimic "Welcome to the Deepsea Metro" with the Deepsea stencil script.

Deepsea block script

This script made its debut in the Octo Expansion, and it appears on posters and advertisements in the Deepsea Metro. The symbols used in order were shown for this script in HaikaraWalker. So far, it seems that this script is solely used to mimic words or to write gibberish.

Mimicked words

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
File:Undersea poster.JPG	UNDERSEA	Poster seen in the Octo Expansion.

Sign script

This script appears on signs in Inkopolis, hence the name. It appears frequently enough and in enough different contexts for it to be considered a script. It is often used to mimic words, but not always. It is speculated that it is decipherable like the other scripts, however, no lead has been found yet.

Mimicked words

Image Image	Meaning	Additional Information
File:Information-desk-WahooWorld.jpeg	INFORATION	Located in Wahoo World, attempting to mimic "Information".
	INFO	Located in Wahoo World.
	SELFIE SPOT	Sign located on the side of Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe's building.
	HOTEL	Sign on the side of a building in Inkopolis Square.
	TIKETS	Ticket booth present near one of the spawns in Shellendorf Institute.
	GIFT SHOP	Gift shop present near one of the spawns in Shellendorf Institute.

Warning script

Warning script is named for its' common use on warning and exit signs, commonly alongside the "Slow Your Roll" Mole. Most Warning script text is reused from other unrelated signs, and it doesn't appear to be decipherable, solely being used to mimic words.

Mimicked words

Image Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	EXIT	A common sign found across the world of Splatoon, this one is in Moray Towers.

Other examples of readable texts

The following examples show text that is designed to mimic words and does not fall under any of the above-listed scripts.

Image Image	Meaning	Additional Information
File:Information-desk-WahooWorld.jpeg	INFORATION	Located in Wahoo World, attempting to mimic "Information".
	Mahi-Mahi Resort and Spa	The sign at Mahi-Mahi Resort.
File:Nintendo sign.jpg	Nintendo	Found in Ancho-V Games.
File:Shellendorf Banner.PNG	"Tho Davon Mujum"	The banner at Shellendorf Institute, likely supposed to resemble "The Devon Museum" which is similar to the stage's name in Japanese, "Devon Oceanographic Museum".
File:Squid Beatz 2 title.jpg	Ika Radio 2	Squid Beatz 2's logo resembles the words "Ika Radio 2", translating to "Squid Radio 2".
	SMESHI WORLD	The logo of Wahoo World seems to spell out "SMESHI WORLD", which is the stage's name in Japanese.
	ThREE	The sign on the Unnamed Battle Lobby Tower in Splatoon 3. The text after SquidForce's logo seems to spell "ThREE" in English.
File:Sturgeon shipyard tidy and in order sign.JPG	整理整頓	整理整頓 seiriseiton means "keeping things tidy and in order." This sign can be seen at Sturgeon Shipyard.
	じはんき	じはんき jihanki means "vending machine." This logo can be seen on vending machines in Splatoon, as well as on the Inkjet and Tenta Missiles in Splatoon 2.
	たoil	Logo of a famous oil company in the Splatoon world. Combination of たこ tako, "octopus", and "oil".
	WeL'NCO	Logo of an exercise company in the Splatoon world. "WeL'NCO" might come from "Well and Co", an appropriate name for a company related to exercise.
	Fジツボ	The logo of Musselforge Fitness. Likely supposed to be フジツボ fujitsubo which connects to the Japanese name of the stage, Fujitsubo Sports Club.
	いかうし 伊香牛 Ikaushi, 将軍山, 愛別	The Main text reads いかうし 伊香牛 Ikaushi, which is a station on the JR Hokkaido line. The nearest stations to Ikaushi station are, or was 将軍山 Shōgunzan (currently defunct in real life), which can be seen mimicked on the left, and 愛別 Aibetsu, which can be seen mimicked on the bottom right.
	いか, SQUID	The White Tee (and Black Tee) features text that mimics the words いか ika, meaning "squid", as well as the word SQUID in English.
	たこ, OCTOPUS	The Octo Tee features text that mimics the words たこ tako, meaning "octopus", as well as the word OCTOPUS in English.
	Splatoon 2 World Championship	The SWC Logo Tee reads in English.
	OCTOPUS	The black text below the eight seems to say OCTOPUS. The same is true for the Black Cuttlegear LS.
File:Squid Internet sign Inkopolis Square.jpg	Squid	This sign features the logo of the Squid Research Lab. The text seems to read "Squid".
	イカ	The Basic Tee features a logo made to resemble イカ ika, meaning "squid".
	タコ	The Fresh Octo Tee features a logo made to resemble タコ tako, meaning "octopus".
	たKOうつぼ, hOTR, たKOWASA	Seen on the back of the Deep-Octo Satin Jacket. Takotsubo is part of the Japanese name of Octo Valley and Octo Canyon. "hOTR" is a mispelling of "Hotaru", Marie's Japanese name. Takowasa is DJ Octavio's Japanese name.
	蝶鮫造船	A logo associated with Sturgeon Shipyard, seen on the back of the Headlamp Helmet. 蝶鮫 chōzame means "sturgeon" and 造船 souzen means "shipbuilding".
File:Splatoon Sunken Scroll 24.png	FAX	The kanji-like symbol on the right side of Sunken Scroll 24 in Splatoon is actually comprised of the letters in the word "FAX," albeit slightly altered, resized, and rotated.
	GAME & WATCH, JERRY KING JR., GAME A, GAME B, TIME, ALARM, ACL, CONTROL, JUMP	A Game & Watch in Ink & Watch Station and Hypercolor Station. This system and its' text are based on a real Donkey Kong Jr. Game & Watch. The Nintendo logo from Ancho-V Games is here as well.
File:Under construction sign sturgeon shipyard.JPG	工事中	A sign in Sturgeon Shipyard. 工事中 kōjichū means "Under construction."
	マンタマリア	Written above the seriph script. マンタマリア (manta maria) is the name used for this stage in most languages. Also seen on a wall near the central mast.

Gear and weapon brands

Image	Meaning	Additional Information
	KNBI ARMS	Ammo Knights' logo loosely resembles "KNBI ARMS", a shortened form of Kanburi Arms, the Japanese name of Ammo Knights.
	Forリマ	The Forge brand logo resembles the letters "Forリマ", which is similar to the brand's name in Japanese, フォーリマ (fōrima).
	GiMN	The Splash Mob brand logo resembles the letters "GiMN", which is similar to the brand's name in Japanese, ジモン (jimon). Interestingly, Gimn is a Russian word, meaning "Anthem", "Canticle", "Carol" or "Hymn".
	AROME	The Tentatek brand logo resembles the letters "AROME", which is the brand's name in Japanese, アロメ (arome).
	IArOIC	The Zink brand logo resembles the letters "IArOIC", which vaguely resembles the brand's name in Japanese, アイロニック (aironikku, i.e. "ironic").
	大王イカ(daiō-ika)	The Enperry brand logo loosely resembles 大王イカ (daiō-ika), the Japanese name for the giant squid.
	EZKO	The Zekko brand logo uses the letters "EZKO", which is the brand's name in French, Italian, Spanish, and a shortened form of the Japanese name Ezokko (person from Ezo).
	ツカオ電気	Logo of the "Neo" weapon brand, which seems to be associated with construction and appliances. Possibly a misspelling of カツオ電気 katsuo denki, which would mean "Skipjack tuna(or bonito) electric"

Spoken language

The spoken language used in Splatoon consists of completely indecipherable gurgling. Certain voice lines vaguely resemble words in Japanese or English. Beyond that, there is no deeper meaning to the spoken language.

Official lyrics for songs by Off the Hook and the Squid Sisters have been distributed with merchandise, such as albums and piano sheet music. An in-universe interview with Wet Floor also disclosed a couple of lines for the song Inkoming! that incorporate sounds resembling English words. Lyrics for Ebb & Flow (Octo) are also shown to incorporate the word "splatoon", albeit slightly deviated from how it is normally spelt in katakana.

Audio

• Female Inklings' voice clips.
• Male Inklings' voice clips.
• Squid Sisters' voice clips.

Octarian language

The Octarians in Octo Valley and Octo Canyon are stated to have a language different to that of the Inklings. Its written form is sometimes represented with square script, but this is not consistent. In its spoken form, Octolings make Inkling-esque sounds, while Octosnipers, Octocommanders and all varieties of Octotrooper make groaning sounds that bear some resemblance to the noises Inklings and Octolings make when they take damage or are splatted.

In Japanese Splatoon media, Inkling language is represented through regular Japanese, while Octarian speech is written entirely in katakana. In Japanese media, a character's dialogue being written with katakana can imply a foreign accent or language of some sort. When Callie is brainwashed, her speech is entirely in katakana, showing that she may be speaking Octarian. Marina occasionally slips into speaking Octarian; detailed in The Art of Splatoon 2. Off the Hook's songs are bilingual, with both Pearl and Marina singing portions in Octarian. They mostly sing in their respective languages, but there are times when Pearl sings with Marina in Octarian, even if her lyrics are still written in hiragana. An Inkling's experience listening to them has been compared to Japanese people listening to English-language songs without an understanding of the language, but an appreciation of the melody.

When using the Octoling amiibo, their dialogue is written in broken English, implying that they do not speak the Inkling language natively.

Gallery

• 

  An Inkling stands in front of a sign written in round script. Much of it is gibberish.

• 

  The back of amiibo box found in Inkopolis Plaza using the out-of-bounds glitch, mostly written in bold and square script. It is entirely gibberish.

• File:Inkopolis Tower Lobby.png

  The front of Inkopolis Tower's Battle Lobby is labelled in sign script, and the brand on the speakers is written in round script.

• 

  Some additional characters found in bold script.

• 

  Some additional characters found in square script.

See also

• Search r/Splatoon for language
• View Squid Boards thread
• Source of the Inkling language glyphs