Arcane Lexicon · D&D 5e
Translate between all 18 D&D 5e languages — Standard, Exotic, and Secret.
Translations are reversible: paste one back, set it as the “From” language, and translate to Common to get the original text.
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Looking for the full list of D&D languages? This page covers every language in the Dungeons & Dragons 5e rules — 8 Standard languages, 8 Exotic languages, and 2 Secret languages — plus one bonus language, for 19 in total. Beyond just listing the D&D 5e languages, this free dnd language translator actually translates between them: English to Elvish, Draconic to Dwarvish, Infernal to Celestial, or any other combination across hundreds of possible language pairs. For the groups, scripts and speakers of each one, see the full D&D languages list.
Each language has its own invented sound and word list, built to match the feel of the language at the table, and every translation is reversible: paste the result back in and translate it to Common to recover the original words, names and punctuation (only unusual capitalisation such as “McDonald” is simplified). It also doubles as a tiefling translator, since Tieflings speak Infernal, and a fey language translator, since Sylvan is the native tongue of the Fey. Jump straight to our Common to Giant translator or our English to Draconic translator, or to a dedicated translator for Infernal, Elvish, Abyssal, Celestial, Sylvan, Deep Speech, Undercommon, Primordial, Dwarvish, Gnomish, Drow, or Thieves' Cant; you can also browse the full list below.
Common is the universal trade tongue of the Forgotten Realms, spoken by humans and understood by nearly every civilized race across the multiverse. It uses a straightforward grammar and a shared alphabet, making it the default language for taverns, marketplaces, and adventuring parties who otherwise share no native tongue. Because it functions as a lingua franca, most published D&D adventures assume characters speak Common unless a scene specifically calls for another language. Our translator uses Common as the baseline for converting text into all of the other D&D 5e languages.
Elvish is the flowing, melodic language spoken by elves and half-elves, prized for a literary tradition that spans centuries of poetry, song, and lorebooks. It favors soft consonants and long vowel sounds, giving it a lilting quality that elven bards and loremasters use to great effect. Written in its own elegant script, Elvish appears on everything from ancient waystones to enchanted blades found in elven ruins. Many arcane and nature-themed spell names in D&D draw inspiration from Elvish roots, reflecting the race's deep connection to magic.
Draconic is considered one of the oldest languages in the multiverse, spoken by dragons, dragonborn, and kobolds alike. Its hard consonants, sharp sibilants, and rhythmic cadence are said to carry an innate sense of power, which is why so many arcane scrolls and spellbooks quote Draconic phrases. Sorcerers with draconic bloodlines and wizards who study ancient magic frequently learn it to decipher forgotten texts. Because Draconic predates most other tongues, place names and monster names throughout D&D lore often trace back to Draconic origins.
Dwarvish is the harsh, guttural language of dwarves, built for durability rather than beauty — a tongue as sturdy as the mountain halls where it is spoken. It is written in the angular Dwarvish runic script, carved into stone, metal, and weapons as often as it is spoken aloud. Dwarvish vocabulary emphasizes precision and brevity, reflecting a culture that values craftsmanship, clan history, and hard-won honor. Many dwarven clan names, forge-marks, and battle cries recorded in D&D campaigns use Dwarvish-sounding phrasing.
Infernal is the lawful, contractual language spoken by devils and tieflings throughout the Nine Hells. Every phrase is precise and deliberate, reflecting a culture built around binding pacts, infernal bargains, and legal loopholes. Its cold, formal tone makes it a favorite for warlocks who draw power from fiendish patrons and for scholars translating cursed contracts. Infernal script frequently appears on cursed items and pact-bound artifacts in D&D adventures, warning would-be readers of the price of power.
Abyssal is the chaotic, distorted language of demons and other fiends native to the Abyss's infinite, ever-shifting layers. Unlike the ordered precision of Infernal, Abyssal sounds deliberately unsettling, full of guttural shrieks and broken syntax that mirror the plane's madness. It is written in the Infernal script, though its demonic dialects mutate as quickly as the Abyss itself. Player characters who encounter demonic cults or Abyssal rifts often need this language to interrogate captured fiends or decode blasphemous inscriptions.
Celestial is the resonant, almost musical language spoken by angels, deities, and other beings native to the Upper Planes. Its harmonics are said to carry divine meaning, making it painfully beautiful — and sometimes overwhelming — to mortal ears. Celestial script appears on holy relics, temple inscriptions, and blessed scrolls throughout D&D settings. Clerics, paladins, and other characters devoted to good-aligned deities often learn Celestial to communicate directly with their patrons or read sacred texts.
Deep Speech is less a spoken language than a direct transmission of concepts, emotions, and alien geometry into the listener's mind. It is the native tongue of aberrations such as mind flayers, beholders, and other creatures from the Far Realm, and it has no conventional written form. Attempting to render Deep Speech phonetically only approximates its true meaning, since much of its content bypasses normal language entirely. Characters who learn Deep Speech risk unsettling glimpses into realities the mortal mind was never meant to comprehend.
Primordial is the raw, elemental tongue spoken by elementals and split into four regional dialects — Auran, Aquan, Ignan, and Terran — corresponding to air, water, fire, and earth. It predates most other languages, tied directly to the moment of elemental creation itself. Genies, elemental cultists, and druids who commune with the elemental planes frequently learn Primordial to negotiate with or command elemental beings. Despite the dialect split, speakers of different Primordial dialects can generally understand one another well enough to communicate.
Sylvan is the ancient language of the fey, spoken by pixies, satyrs, dryads, and other creatures of the Feywild. Its rhythms echo the changing of seasons and the rustle of wild places, giving it a lyrical, otherworldly quality distinct from Elvish. Druids and rangers who spend time in fey-touched forests often pick up Sylvan to negotiate with capricious fey lords and navigate feywild bargains. Sylvan inscriptions frequently mark fey crossings, hidden groves, and other liminal spaces between the Feywild and the Material Plane.
Undercommon is the practical trade language of the Underdark, spoken by drow, duergar, and the many other races that dwell beneath the surface world. Stripped of ornamentation and sentiment, it exists primarily to facilitate trade, warnings, and negotiation in a hostile subterranean environment. Adventurers delving into the Underdark rely on Undercommon to deal with merchant caravans, mercenary bands, and rival factions who might otherwise have no shared tongue. Its vocabulary reflects Underdark priorities: darkness, danger, stone, and survival.
Giant is the booming, earth-shaking language spoken by giants, ogres, and trolls, descended from ancient Primordial roots. Its heavy syllables and thunderous delivery reflect the sheer scale of the creatures who speak it, and it is written in the same Dwarvish runic script used by dwarves. Giant clans use the language to recount ancestral sagas, challenges, and boasts of strength passed down through generations. Adventurers who negotiate with hill giants, frost giants, or storm giant nobility often find a working knowledge of Giant essential.
Goblin is the language of goblinoids: goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears. In the D&D 5e rules it is a Standard language, written in the Dwarvish script. The rules give it no word list, so the sound is up to your table. Our version leans on hard g and k sounds, and the same word always gives the same result, which suits a shouted warning or a scribbled map note. Use the main translator to turn a line into Goblin, and translate it back to Common to read it again.
Gnomish is the quick, inventive language spoken by gnomes, packed with technical terminology for inventions that don't always work as intended. Written in the Dwarvish script, the same runes dwarves use, it reflects gnomish culture's obsession with tinkering, illusion magic, and clever wordplay. Gnomish speakers often coin new words on the spot to describe experimental gadgets, giving the language a constantly evolving vocabulary. Artificers and gnome NPCs throughout D&D settings use Gnomish both for genuine communication and as playful technical jargon.
Halfling is the warm, lilting language spoken by halflings, with an oral storytelling tradition far richer than its written record. It favors comfort, hospitality, and community, with vocabulary that reflects halfling values like good food, safe homes, and modest living. Halfling script exists but is rarely used formally, since most halfling lore is passed down through spoken tales rather than written texts. Many halfling proverbs and turns of phrase carry a folksy warmth that stands out even in translation.
Orc is an aggressive, percussive language spoken by orcs and half-orcs, built for war cries, blunt commands, and battlefield coordination. Despite its harsh spoken delivery, Orc is written using the Dwarvish script, a historical quirk resulting from centuries of contact between the two cultures. Orc vocabulary emphasizes strength, conflict, and survival, with relatively few words dedicated to abstract or peaceful concepts. Player characters who parley with orc war bands or explore orcish strongholds often need at least a working knowledge of the language.
Thieves' Cant is not a separate language but a secret code woven into ordinary Common speech, used by rogues, smugglers, and thieves' guilds to hide meaning in plain sight. A seemingly innocent phrase can carry a completely different message to someone trained in the cant, making it ideal for passing warnings or striking illicit deals in public. It also includes a system of hand signals and coded symbols left on walls and doorframes to mark safe houses, marks, and dangers. Rogues automatically learn Thieves' Cant (in the 2014 rules; the 2024 rules list it as a rare language), making it one of the most narratively useful secret languages in D&D 5e. Cover talk, the plain-Common style, hides the message in ordinary words.
Try the dedicated Thieves' Cant Translator, with cover-talk examples →
Druidic is a secret language known only to druids, who are sworn to guard it from outsiders and never teach it to non-druids. It uses a unique set of runes distinct from any other D&D script, often carved into bark, stone, or ritual circles rather than written on parchment. Revealing Druidic to someone outside the druidic order is treated as a serious breach of trust within druidic circles, occasionally with in-game consequences. Because it's restricted to a single class, Druidic is one of the rarest languages for player characters to actually speak in a campaign.
In the 5e rules, drow speak Elvish, and many also speak Undercommon. The rules give them no language of their own, so this site adds an invented Drow voice as a bonus 19th language alongside the 18 in the rules. It aims for something colder and harsher than Elvish, full of sibilant hisses and clipped, distrustful phrasing, for dark elves of the Underdark who should not sound like their surface cousins. Try the Drow translator, or use the Elvish and Undercommon translators when your table wants the rules languages.