(, ; variant spellings include , ) is a semi-formal script used to write the Tibetan alphabet used for both calligraphy and shorthand. The name means "headless" and refers to its distinctive feature: the absence of the horizontal guide line ('head') across the top of the letters. Between syllables, the mark () often appears as a vertical stroke, rather than the shorter 'dot'-like mark in some other scripts. There are two main kinds of writing:
Other Tibetan scripts include the upright block form, (; ) and the everyday, handwritten cursive, (). The name of the block form, means "with a head", corresponding to the presence of the horizontal guide line.