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L in Old English Letters

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

Capital L
Lowercase l

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

L is the simplest letter in the blackletter alphabet, which is why mistakes in it are so noticeable. The capital has a thick stem with a sweeping foot and an ornate top, and the lowercase is a single tall stroke. With little else to look at, the eye judges the L entirely by stem weight, spacing and the shape of its terminals.

Outline version to colour or trace

Open in the Old English text generator →

How to draw a Old English capital L

  1. 1Draw the thick stem with the pen at about 45 degrees, from a diamond head to a flat foot.
  2. 2Add a curved hairline at the top left that sweeps over the stem and ends in a small flourish.
  3. 3Pull the foot to the right as a firm horizontal stroke that tapers to a point, about twice the width of the stem.
  4. 4Link the foot to the stem with a small diamond at the join, and check that the letter stands on the baseline without tilting.

Tip: Keep the foot short. A long foot makes the L look like a bar on the floor and pushes the next letter too far away.

How to draw a Old English lowercase l

  1. 1Pull a tall, straight stem from the ascender line to the baseline, starting with a small angled head.
  2. 2Finish the stem with a clean diamond foot, made by turning the pen slightly at the end of the stroke.
  3. 3Check that the stem is vertical or follows the same slant as all other stems on the line.
  4. 4Compare it with i and the first stem of n. The weight should be identical.

Tip: Write the word lull. The letters have only stems, so any difference in weight or slant will be easy to see and useful to correct.

What makes L awkward or easy

The L is awkward because it offers no curves to hide mistakes, and in the lowercase it is almost identical to capital I and numeral 1 in the same style. The capital's foot also creates a large gap to its right, which needs careful spacing against the next letter.

Variations

Fraktur capital L often has a curved top and a flowing foot, whereas Textura L is more compact and angular. The lowercase l in Fraktur can have a small hook at the top left. These are general trends, so check a specimen if accuracy matters.

Common mistakes with Old English L

  • The foot is so long that it spreads out the word.

    Shorten the foot and tuck the next letter in slightly, so the white space looks even.

  • The stem is not vertical.

    Draw slant lines on the sheet and compare every stem with them. A slight lean is fine if it is consistent.

  • The lowercase l looks like a capital I.

    Make the lowercase tall and plain, and give the capital I a hook and extra weight.

Ideas for Old English L

L is a popular initial for names like Luna, Leopold or Lorenzo, and for places like London or Lisbon on a vintage label. Because it is so simple, a decorated capital L works as a good first lesson in blackletter ornament.

Printable Old English L sheet

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

Old English letter L l Name: ____________________ · coolletteringgenerator.com

Old English L you can copy and paste

Both the capital L and the lowercase l have normal mathematical Fraktur forms. Fraktur: 𝔏 (U+1D50F) and 𝔩 (U+1D529). Bold Fraktur: 𝕷 (U+1D577) and 𝖑 (U+1D591).

Old English L: questions

Is L the easiest blackletter letter to draw?
It is the simplest in construction, since it is only a stem and a foot. It is also unforgiving, because there is nowhere to hide an uneven stroke. Use it to practise weight, slant and the shape of diamond terminals. A foot that stays modest also saves width when the L opens a long name.
How do I tell a blackletter l from a capital I?
The capital I is usually heavier and has a hook or swelling, while the lowercase l is a plain tall stem. In running text context helps, but in a name it can be ambiguous. Add distinct ornaments to the capital for clarity.
How long should the foot of a capital L be?
Keep it roughly twice the width of the stem, so it supports the letter without making a wide gap. Shorter feet look more traditional, and a long foot belongs to flourished display capitals. Shorter feet look more traditional, and long ones are reserved for flourished display capitals.

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