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K in Old English Letters

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

Capital K
Lowercase k

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

K is a letter of angles in a style that otherwise prefers verticals. The capital has a heavy spine with an upper arm and a lower leg that diverge from a junction, and the lowercase k has a tall ascender with a small loop or arm. It is one of the letters that can be mistaken for R when the strokes are too similar.

Outline version to colour or trace

Open in the Old English text generator →

How to draw a Old English capital K

  1. 1Draw the thick spine with the pen at about 45 degrees, ending in a diamond foot.
  2. 2Add the upper arm as a thin diagonal that leaves the spine near the middle and sweeps out to the top right.
  3. 3Draw the lower leg as a heavier stroke that starts from the junction and moves to the bottom right.
  4. 4Place a diamond terminal on each end and check that the two arms meet the spine at the same point.

Tip: Let the leg be heavier than the arm. If both are the same weight, the K looks like an X attached to a post.

How to draw a Old English lowercase k

  1. 1Draw the tall ascender as a straight downstroke with a diamond head at the top.
  2. 2Add a small curved arm from the stem at the x-height, sweeping to the right in two facets.
  3. 3Draw the leg as a short angled stroke from the junction to the baseline, ending in a point.
  4. 4Check the junction. The arm and leg should meet at the stem without a visible gap.

Tip: Write k next to h and b. All three share the same ascender height and similar weight, so any difference points to a problem with your guidelines.

What makes K awkward or easy

The K is awkward because the arms leave the spine at an angle, which differs from the rhythm of the surrounding verticals. The junction can become a dark knot, and the capital is easily confused with R when the lower arm curves.

Variations

Textura k often has a looped upper arm that closes back on the stem, whereas Fraktur forms vary between an open and a closed arm. Some scripts use a straight diagonal leg, and others curve it. Treat these as general tendencies, not strict rules.

Common mistakes with Old English K

  • The junction is a heavy black lump.

    Make the arm and leg meet the spine in a single point, and lighten the arm with the corner of the nib.

  • K looks like R because the leg curves.

    Straighten the leg and make sure it ends in a clear terminal outside the letter.

  • The ascender is shorter than that of the neighbouring b and h.

    Rule an ascender line and bring each tall stem to it. Consistent height gives a better reading rhythm.

Ideas for Old English K

K is a strong initial for names such as Katarina, Kendrick or Klaus, and for brand names like Kiln. Its sharp angles give a gothic K a lot of energy on a patch or poster, and a K paired with another sharp letter such as V or W forms a bold monogram.

Printable Old English K sheet

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

Old English letter K k Name: ____________________ · coolletteringgenerator.com

Old English K you can copy and paste

Both the capital K and the lowercase k have normal mathematical Fraktur forms. Fraktur: 𝔎 (U+1D50E) and 𝔨 (U+1D528). Bold Fraktur: 𝕶 (U+1D576) and 𝖐 (U+1D590).

Old English K: questions

How do I keep K from looking like R?
Keep the lower leg straight and let it extend well beyond the spine, ending in a pointed terminal. The R has a bowl on top, so avoid curving the upper arm into a loop. Compare the two letters side by side at small size.
Why is the lowercase k so tall?
It has an ascender, like b, d, h and l, so it rises above the x-height. In Textura the ratio between ascender and x-height can be about 2 to 1 or more, though it varies. Keep it consistent across all the tall letters.
Can I draw K without a pen?
Yes. Sketch a thick stem and two angled strokes, then thicken the leg and fill it in. Add small diamond terminals with a fine tip. The result will not have true pen contrast but will still look like blackletter. Add the diamond ends last, since a fine tip handles them more cleanly than a thick marker does.

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