Free Rune Tools

A rune converter is a tool that rewrites ordinary text into runes, swapping each letter, or letter pair such as TH, for the closest rune in a historical alphabet like Elder Futhark. It transliterates rather than translates: the words stay the same, only the script changes. A rune translator does the reverse, reading runes back into Latin letters.

Three free tools for working with runes: convert any text into runes across six historical alphabets with the Rune Converter, turn runes back into readable text with the Rune Translator, or enter a birth date to find your Elder Futhark birth rune with the Birth Rune Calculator. No sign-up, no cost, instant results.

Frequently asked questions

Which of these rune tools should I use?

It depends on what you are starting from. Use the Rune Converter if you have text and want it written in runes, the Rune Translator if you have runes and want to read them back, and the Birth Rune Calculator if all you have is a date of birth. Each tool links across to the others.

Are these rune tools free?

Yes, all three are free with no account, no sign-up, and no payment. There is no usage limit and nothing to install. Each tool runs in your browser, so what you type stays on your own device rather than being sent to a server.

Which runic alphabets do these tools cover?

Six of them: Elder Futhark, Younger Futhark, Short-Twig, Staveless Hälsinge, the Medieval Runerow, and the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. The converter writes your text out in all six at once so you can compare them side by side, and the translator reads all six back into Latin letters.

Do I need to know Old Norse to use them?

No. These tools transliterate rather than translate, swapping each letter for its closest historical rune or the reverse, so no knowledge of Old Norse or Old English is required. Writing a genuine Norse inscription is a separate job: you would choose the Norse words first, then run those through the converter.

What is a birth rune?

A birth rune is the Elder Futhark rune tied to the part of the year you were born in. The Birth Rune Calculator takes a date of birth and returns the rune covering it, then links through to that rune's own page for its history and meaning.

Where can I read what each rune means?

Every one of the 24 Elder Futhark runes has its own page on this site covering its name, sound, history, and traditional meaning. The converter links each Elder Futhark rune it produces directly to that rune's page, so you can go from a name in runes to the meaning of each rune in one click.

Can I use these tools on a phone?

Yes. All three run in a mobile browser and the layouts adapt to narrow screens, with the converter's six alphabet rows and the translator's on-screen rune keyboard both usable by touch. There is no app to download, though a companion app exists separately if you want the rune meanings offline.

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