This paper seeks to define the relationship between speech and writing as two separate media within language, and suggests the use of the term translation to describe moving from one medium to another. Such a view acknowledges the independence of speech and writing, the possibility of translation in either direction, the possible untranslatability and ambiguity of some elements, and correspondence with patterns observed in translation between languages. After a discussion of the translation theory, the author describes translation systems used in natural languages throughout the world. These include simultaneous but discrete translation of phonological features, context-based transcription, phonology-based transcription, syllable-based transcription, transcription based on a fully syllabic script, transcription based on alphabetic syllabaries, and mixed transcription. Concluding remarks concern the work of linguists in devising transcription systems for various language problems. (VM)