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G in Old English Letters

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

Capital G
Lowercase g

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

G is one of the letters where the blackletter style departs most obviously from the Roman original. The capital resembles a heavy C with a spur, and the lowercase has a closed lower loop that curls under the baseline, often compared with a figure eight in Textura. Both forms involve more strokes than usual, which makes G a good test of patience.

Outline version to colour or trace

Open in the Old English text generator →

How to draw a Old English capital G

  1. 1Draw the heavy left arch with the pen at about 45 degrees, as you would for a C, finishing with a diamond foot.
  2. 2Add the upper terminal as a thin hairline with a small flat tip at the top of the curve.
  3. 3Draw the spur on the right as a short vertical stroke that rises from the baseline and ends in a point.
  4. 4Link the spur and arch with a short horizontal bar, then add a diamond at the end of the spur so the letter remains clearly different from C.

Tip: Pull the spur up from the baseline instead of down from the bar. This makes the letter appear grounded, and the vertical emphasis matches the rest of the capitals.

How to draw a Old English lowercase g

  1. 1Write the upper bowl as a small angled shape, finishing with a vertical stem at its right edge.
  2. 2Continue the stem below the baseline with a gentle curve to the left, forming the start of the descender.
  3. 3Complete the closed lower loop with a short return stroke that crosses the stem and meets the descender's tip.
  4. 4Flatten the loop slightly and add a hairline at the join, so the lower bowl is clear and not overly round.

Tip: Keep the descender loop smaller than the top bowl. A loop that matches the bowl in size reads as an 8 and pulls attention from the line above.

What makes G awkward or easy

The G is awkward because the capital borrows its basic shape from C but needs a spur and a bar to be distinct. The lowercase g is more complicated, since the lower loop must stay open enough to read yet closed enough to feel complete, and it also descends into the line below.

Variations

Fraktur g usually has a closed lower bowl with a distinctive hooked shape, while Textura g can be more compact and angular. Some Rotunda forms are closer to a Roman g. As elsewhere, mixed forms exist, so check a specimen if you need period accuracy.

Common mistakes with Old English G

  • The capital G looks exactly like a C with a dot.

    Draw a clear spur rising from the baseline and join it with a bar, so the G has an obvious additional structure.

  • The lower loop of the g closes up into a black blob.

    Open the loop slightly and keep the return stroke light, so there is a clear white counter.

  • The descender of the lowercase g runs into the line below.

    Allow extra line spacing, or shorten the descender so the loop sits clear of the next line's ascenders.

Ideas for Old English G

G suits names like Grace, Gideon or Garrett, and works well as a lead letter on a coat of arms or club badge. A lowercase g makes an interesting detail in a tattoo word, since its loop adds visual variety against the straight stems of the neighbouring letters.

Printable Old English G sheet

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

Old English letter G g Name: ____________________ · coolletteringgenerator.com

Old English G you can copy and paste

Both the capital G and the lowercase g have normal mathematical Fraktur forms. Fraktur: 𝔊 (U+1D50A) and 𝔤 (U+1D524). Bold Fraktur: 𝕲 (U+1D572) and 𝖌 (U+1D58C).

Old English G: questions

Why is the lowercase g so complicated in blackletter?
It has an upper bowl and a lower loop, both made from angular strokes. The lower loop must cross the stem and return to the baseline, which takes several pen movements. Practise the descender as a separate shape before assembling the full letter.
How do I keep the capital G from looking like a C?
Add the spur and the short bar on the right side. Make the spur rise from the baseline, and use a diamond to finish it. With those two features in place, the letter reads clearly as a G, even at a distance. In a nameplate, a capital G is the safer choice when the space beneath the line is tight.
Does the descender of g need extra space?
Yes. The loop reaches below the baseline, so leave extra leading between lines. If you are lettering a name on a tight space, consider shortening the descender or using a capital G, which has no loop below the line. A lowercase g in the first line of a poster may also nudge the line above.

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