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E in Old English Letters

By Maya Chen, lettering designer and type educator · Checked by Jordan Hale · · How we review content

Capital E
Lowercase e

Rendered in the UnifrakturMaguntia typeface, an open-source font. It is a reference shape, not a hand-drawn letter.

The blackletter E is a letter of curves and a single decisive bar. The capital looks like a rounded C with a crossbar tucked into the opening, and the lowercase is a small, narrow bowl with a horizontal stroke. Both are simple in outline and easy to spoil, because a bar that is too thin or too low destroys the distinction between E and C.

Outline version to colour or trace

Open in the Old English text generator →

How to draw a Old English capital E

  1. 1Draw the heavy curved back as a downstroke at about 45 degrees, bowing slightly to the left and ending in a diamond foot.
  2. 2Add the upper arm as a thin hairline that departs from the top of the curve and finishes with a small flat terminal.
  3. 3Draw the crossbar as a firm horizontal stroke at the middle, thicker than a hairline but lighter than the back.
  4. 4Check that the bar touches the back of the letter so that the E is closed on the left, then add a small diamond at the lower terminal.

Tip: Draw the crossbar a touch above the true middle. A bar at the exact centre makes the E look like two stacked bowls, whereas a bar slightly above it feels natural.

How to draw a Old English lowercase e

  1. 1Begin with a tiny hairline stroke at the upper right and sweep into the curved back of the bowl in two angled facets.
  2. 2Add a flat horizontal bar across the middle of the bowl, pulled with the pen's full edge so that it appears as a clear thin line.
  3. 3Finish the bottom curve with a short diamond foot, letting it extend just past the bar.
  4. 4Compare the closed eye of the e with c and o. The e needs a visible white gap above the bar to stay readable.

Tip: If the eye of your e is closing up, widen the pen angle slightly or loosen the bar. Often the cause is a bar that sits too high and cuts the counter in half.

What makes E awkward or easy

The E is awkward because it has to separate itself from C using only a small bar, while also staying compact. The lowercase e is among the most frequently used letters in English, so any irregularity repeats and shows up all over a line of text.

Variations

Textura e often features a rather narrow, angular eye with a flat bar, while Fraktur and Schwabacher forms can show a rounder bowl and a more sweeping bar. Rotunda e is rounder again. These are broad tendencies and differ between scribes and typefaces.

Common mistakes with Old English E

  • The crossbar is so thin that E looks like C at a distance.

    Pull the bar with the pen's full edge so it holds a visible weight, and make sure it connects to the back.

  • The eye of the e is filled with ink.

    Leave a clear white gap above the bar, and reduce the pressure when you finish the curve.

  • The bar sits in the exact middle and the E looks like a figure eight.

    Raise the bar slightly above centre so the lower part appears larger and the letter looks grounded.

Ideas for Old English E

E is a strong initial for Emma, Elias or Eden, and is also the most common lowercase letter, so it matters for every phrase you letter. For a masthead, the E in The Evening Post is a good place to practise matching the weight between capital and lowercase forms.

Printable Old English E sheet

Trace the outlines, then fill the empty rows with your own letters.

Old English letter E e Name: ____________________ · coolletteringgenerator.com

Old English E you can copy and paste

Both the capital E and the lowercase e have normal mathematical Fraktur forms. Fraktur: 𝔈 (U+1D508) and 𝔢 (U+1D522). Bold Fraktur: 𝕰 (U+1D570) and 𝖊 (U+1D58A).

Old English E: questions

How do I tell blackletter E from C?
Look for a crossbar. The E has a horizontal bar that joins the curved back, while the C is open on the right with just a terminal. If you are lettering, draw the bar boldly enough that it survives reduction to a smaller size.
Why does my lowercase e look closed?
The bar is probably sitting too high or your pen angle is too shallow. Leave a visible gap of white above the bar, and keep the bowl a little wider than you think you need. Practise e, c and o together until the counters match.
Is the Fraktur E code point unusual?
No, capital E and lowercase e are both in the regular mathematical Fraktur block. The unusual ones are C, H, I, R and Z, which come from the older Letterlike Symbols block. E pastes like any other character. Because it sits in the main range, a converter treats it exactly like A or B, with no special handling needed.

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