The planchette, French for "little plank", is used as a pointer on a Ouija board. It is a heart shaped object which allows letters to be pointed to using the tip or read through a hole in the center. (Horowitz, 68)
When using a home made Ouija a teacup or overturned wine glass is often used in place of the classic planchette. (Buckland, 74)
Dial plate talking boards use a needle shaped pointer that is affixed to the center of the board. The needle rotates to point to the designated letters. (Buckland, 74)
