Syllabic signs are symbols used in writing systems that represent syllables, which are units of sound in a word. Unlike alphabetic systems that use individual letters to represent sounds, syllabic signs can represent a whole syllable, making them more efficient for certain languages. This type of writing is often found in languages like Japanese, where characters such as hiragana and katakana are used. These signs can vary in complexity and can represent either consonant-vowel combinations or standalone vowels. Syllabic writing systems are common in various cultures, including the Cherokee syllabary and the Linear B script used in ancient Greece.