Abstract | Reading of alphabetic writing systems, such as English, has been extensively studied
and most theories and models of reading are based on findings from these studies. This practice
raises a practical question regarding whether findings from alphabetic writing systems can be
extended to other writing systems, such as Korean or Chinese, and a more fundamental question
about the universality of reading mechanisms. In this Review, we discuss how findings from
different writing systems contribute to an understanding of the universal mechanisms of reading.
We first describe the unique properties of different writing systems. Then we review evidence
that points to universal mechanisms common to all writing systems, followed by evidence
suggesting that readers of different writing systems develop specific perceptual and cognitive
mechanisms for efficient reading. These findings suggest that computational models developed
for alphabetic reading cannot always account for reading in other scripts. We conclude that
studies in non- alphabetic writing systems are valuable in understanding the universal and
script- specific mechanisms of reading.