Here's how to read Pokémon's Unown alphabet

Steven Rondina Last updated 01/05/2026

pokemon unown alphabet - all letters and how to read them

The Unown alphabet returned to Pokémon thanks to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl (BDSP) and Pokémon Legends: Arceus, in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Since then, though, the alphabetic Pokémon has been largely absent.

Unown was one of the many different Pokémon that got put on the shelf in Pokémon Sword and Shield. This made more sense for Unown than for most other shelved Pokémon since Unown’s only move was Hidden Power, which was removed from the game.

Hidden Power returned in Pokémon BDSP, with Unown as its sole user. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that it’s remained fairly absent, but The Pokémon Company could always find ways around this to bring back a fan favorite.

A great deal of Unown’s appeal is the fact that its 28 forms actually spell out a full alphabet, that is 26 letters plus exclamation and question marks. Pokémon Legends: Arceus took a new approach to this, using the Pokémon as part of a collecting quest.

While this was a novel approach, the trouble was that the Unown alphabet has always been extremely difficult to read and understand. In fact, many players still don’t even notice that each individual form of Unown was meant to be shaped like a letter when it was first introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. As such, it’s important to have a guide for how to translate these glyphs.

Here’s how to read the Unown alphabet.

All Unown letters: How to identify and read them

When reading the alphabet, it helps to remember that all Unown letters match the alphabet, so you can try to read the Pokémon Unown alphabet as if it were the actual English alphabet. Of course, some of them are hard to identify, but context clues for Unown letters can always help.

The recent games which include Unown

As of June 2026, the most recent set of games to include Unown are still Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl and Legends: Arceus.

In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, there is one of each Unown version scattered across the game’s world. Many of these are in hidden or otherwise obscure locations, ranging from inside trees to behind buildings.

After collecting all 28 Unown in the world, Unowns will then begin spawning in the Solaceon Ruins in the Crimson Mirelands. There are hints to finding these Pokémon, but they’re a little tricky to understand. However, if you explore fully, you won’t need to use too many hints because they’re just hidden, not impossible to find. Here is every Unown location in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

This is the same in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. As with Legends: Arceus, BDSP has Unowns spawn in the Solaceon Ruins. In this game, collecting Unowns works differently as players need to navigate the cave to find them all.

Can you find Unown in Legends: Z-A or Scarlet and Violet?

The Pokémon was not in Legends: Z-A or Scarlet and Violet. It’s unclear whether it will be in Generation 10, Winds and Waves, but it doesn’t appear likely. It is in Pokopia, but that’s a totally different type of game, and it only serves as part of a puzzle to unlock Mew.

Is Unown a strong Pokémon?

Unown is a very weak Pokémon. Unown has low base stats, comparable to the likes of Squirtle or Bulbasaur. On top of that, it only learns one move, Hidden Power.

While Hidden Power has always been useful, its low power and lack of coverage mean that Unown is flimsy both offensively and defensively. Still, it’s not every Pokémon that has 28 different forms and can literally spell out words, so Unown remains a unique and cool (and rare, since it’s hardly ever featured) Pokémon.

Plus, it has some of the best lore in the franchise. Recall its prominence in the third Pokémon movie. Imagination becomes a vehicle for changing reality in nightmarish fashion thanks to Unown’s power. That makes it pretty powerful, even if it wouldn’t hold up so well in a battle.

More on Pokémon

History of Unown

Unown, as mentioned, debuted in Gold and Silver, Gen 2. It’s a Psychic type, and that’s never changed. It appeared in four straight generations before skipping Generation 6, Sun and Moon. It returned in Generation 7 for Sword and Shield, but has since been absent from the mainline generation titles.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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