If you have ever used an Enchanting table in Minecraft, you must have noticed the cryptic text that it holds. It looks nothing like the regular English alphabet. Though, there’s no need to be confused anymore. We are here to help you understand and read the Minecraft Enchanting table language. From the origin to the individual letters, our guide will help you learn what this cryptic language is all about. You will learn to read this language on Minecraft Java and Bedrock editions. If you haven’t seen this cryptic language in the game yet, it’s time you make an Enchanting table in Minecraft and experience it yourself. With that out of the gate, let’s learn how to read the Minecraft Enchanting table language.
Learn Minecraft Enchanting Table Language (2022)
We will first go over the origin and history of this unique language in Minecraft. But you can use the table below to skip to the alphabet too. However, we would suggest you follow the sequence because Minecraft isn’t the only place where you will see these symbols.
What is Minecraft’s Enchanting Table Language?
The Enchanting table uses SGA or Standard Galactic Alphabet, a fictional language used in video games and pop culture. As the name suggests, this language was created to represent an alien form of written communication. It was first developed for the retro Commander Keen video game series. But later, more video games, including Minecraft, adopted it, and we currently see it within the Enchanting Table.
You can find SGA on each enchantment on the right side of the table. You can hover over it to reveal the actual name of the enchantment. Many people believe that SGA led to the development of many more fictional languages. You can find cryptic texts in several pop culture series, including Star Wars, Futurama, and more.
How to Read Enchanting Table Language in Minecraft?
The easiest way to read the enchanting table language in Minecraft is to use a translation chart of an SGA translator. You first need to take a screenshot of the cryptic in-game language. The Java edition lets you take screenshots using the F2 key on your PC. Meanwhile, the players on the Bedrock edition need to use the built-in screenshot shortcut on their device. If you are on Windows, pressing [Win + Prt Sc] takes a screenshot instantly.
Once you have the screenshot, you can use an SGA chart or an online language translator to convert the text into regular English. You can use the chart above to compare and convert the enchanting table language. Each symbol represents a specific English letter, and there are no differences between uppercase and lowercase letters. SGA spacing works just like English spacing, so keep that in mind.
Best Minecraft Enchanting Table Language Translators
If you are not a fan of manual translations, you can easily translate Minecraft Enchanting table language to regular English using various online translators. You can also use Minecraft’s Enchanting table language to send coded messages among your friends outside the game. All you need is one of the many free SGA translators available on the web, Android, and iOS platforms. Here are a couple of reliable SGA language translators:
LingoJam
Reliable for various fictional language translations, LingoJam offers a simple SGA translation layout. You can place English words on the left to get their SGA counterparts on the right side of its UI. And vice versa. It also allows you to generate random sentences to test out the translator. Not to forget, unlike most other online translators, LingoJam has no ads.
Try LingoJam SGA Translator
SGA App
If you want to translate Enchanting table language while playing MCPE (Minecraft Pocket Edition) with your friends, using a website isn’t the best option. Fortunately, there’s a free alternative called Standard Galactic Alphabet on the Google Play Store & Apple App Store. Each store has a different developer of the app, but both apps’ functionality is the same. They allow you to enter, copy, and translate Minecraft Enchanting Table Language with ease.
Download Standard Galactic Alphabet app (Free, Android and iOS)
What Is Enchantment Table Language Used for in Minecraft?
The only place you can find SGA is the Enchanting table in Minecraft. Many players believe that the Minecraft language has an unlimited random supply of words. But the table only displays a random selection of words from the following list:
air animal baguette ball beast berata bless creature cold cthulhu cube curse darkness demon destroy earth elder elemental embiggen enchant fhtagn fiddle fire free fresh galvanize grow hot humanoid ignite imbue inside klaatu light limited mental mglwnafh niktu of other xyzzy phnglui physical range rlyeh scrolls self shorten shrink snuff sphere spirit stale stretch the towards twist undead water wet wgahnagl
What Do Enchantment Table Words That Aren’t English Mean?
Practically, the words from Minecraft’s Enchanting table language mean nothing. As you can guess from the table above, they only hold representative values. The enchantments or any in-game activity have no relation to the words displayed on the Enchanting table. You will see the enchantment names you can apply to an item by hovering over the SGA text, but it won’t be a direct translation.
As for the non-English words, they aren’t as random as you might expect. Most of them are sourced from H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu novels. Almost half of these words are from the phrase “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.” In English, this phrase means “In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming”. These words are only present in Minecraft as an easter egg from the developers. There’s no deeper meaning to any of them.
Enchanting Table Language: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Minecraft Enchantment Table language readable?
The Enchanting Table language is easily readable using the right translator app or translation chart. But not all of the translated words on the table have any meaning in the English language.
What is the galactic alphabet in Minecraft?
The Standard Galactic alphabet (or SGA) is a fictional symbolic language first introduced in the video game Commander Keen. Later it was reused by Quake 4 and then by Minecraft as its enchanting table language. It has 26 symbols, each representing a particular English letter.
Do I need to learn SGA for Minecraft Enchantment?
As mentioned in this guide, SGA is only used to present random words and phrases. So, learning SGA doesn’t make any difference in your gameplay or enchanting process. But it can be more fun if you know the cryptic text. And in case you are wondering, there is no way to use or write using SGA inside Minecraft.
Read Minecraft Enchanting Table Language with Ease!
Just like that, you are now ready to read Minecraft’s Enchanting table language and decode the secrets it holds. It might not provide you a practical value but is undoubtedly an exciting experience. As for the enchantments, you can dig deeper by checking our list of best sword enchantments in Minecraft. If they don’t seem powerful enough, you can always combine them with the best Minecraft potions to level up your experience. Not to forget, an additional boost of best Minecraft mods can take you to a whole new dimension of the game. And going back to the mysterious, enchanting table language, share with our readers if you see something similar in other video games. Cryptic texts are deeply embedded in our pop culture; you only need to look closely.
