Pictogram

A pictogram, also known as a pictograph, is an easily understandable symbol giving information.

Their use is widespread in places such as airports and hospitals where large numbers of people need information about where to find toilets, escalators or public transport and so on without having to understand a written language.

One of the widely-used sets of pictograms is that of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. The Olympic Games also make use of their own specially designed symbols for each sport. Another internationally recognised pictogram is the International Tidy Man, first introduced in the late 1960s.

The use of pictograms in the classroom offers opportunities for discussing meanings, matching images with descriptions, writing short definitions, and so on. They can be used for working with imperatives, or writing instructions out in full.