What it does
Hyperglot combines an orthography database with tools for checking language support in fonts. It is available as open-source command-line and Python software, with web interfaces for exploring the data and font coverage.
A language can use more than one orthography, so its name alone does not define every required character. Hyperglot separates base and auxiliary letters, combining marks, punctuation, numerals and currency symbols. Validity labels show whether the underlying language data is still a draft or has been verified.
Install the Python package with pip install hyperglot, then run hyperglot MyFont.otf for a supported-language report. TTF, OTF, WOFF and WOFF2 inputs are accepted. Options select character sets, orthographies and data-validity levels; -y writes the result to a YAML file. The separate hyperglot-report command identifies missing characters and shaping support.
Checks include mark positioning and joining behavior as well as character presence. Conjunct checks for Brahmi-derived scripts currently cover Hindi/Devanagari only. Hyperglot does not assess the visual quality of the font, and its language data continues to develop.
Strengths
- Orthographies and character sets are explicitly distinguished.
- Validity labels expose the review state of the language data.
- Reports can identify missing support and save machine-readable YAML.
Watch out for
- Language data has varying validity and is still being developed.
- Brahmi-derived conjunct checks currently cover Hindi/Devanagari only.
Best for
- Multilingual type development
- Teams researching orthographic font requirements
Sources
- Hyperglot README (Oct 27, 2026)
- Hyperglot Apache License (Oct 27, 2026)