Methods, systems, and devices for the design of symbol-group based spreading schemes are described. An exemplary method for wireless communication includes transmitting, by a terminal, a first spread signal that is generated by spreading a first group of N data symbols using a first set of N sequences, where N is a symbol-group length, L is a spreading length, each of the first set of N sequences is from an orthogonal spreading sequence set that comprises L sequences, and each of the L sequences is of length L. Another exemplary method for wireless communication includes transmitting, by a network node, an indication of a first set of N sequences, and receiving a first spread signal comprising a group of N data symbols spread using the first set of N sequences.