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M in Old English Letters

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

Capital M
Lowercase m

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

M is the widest letter in the alphabet and, in blackletter, one of the hardest to keep legible. The capital is built from arches and stems with an ornamental curve at the top, and it can look like a cluster of loops. The lowercase m is a set of three stems joined by two arches, and it tests your spacing more than any other letter.

Outline version to colour or trace

Open in the Old English text generator →

How to draw a Old English capital M

  1. 1Draw the left stem as a thick downstroke at about 45 degrees, with a diamond head and flat foot.
  2. 2Add the first arch as a curved stroke from the top of the stem, bending right and down into a second stem.
  3. 3Draw the second arch and third stem in the same way, keeping the gaps equal and the stems parallel.
  4. 4Finish with a small curl at the top left and a hairline link between the arches, then check that the whole letter fits a square.

Tip: Plan the width in stem units. If you divide the letter into equal gaps first, the arches fall into place and the M does not end up lopsided.

How to draw a Old English lowercase m

  1. 1Draw the first stem as a short downstroke with a diamond head and foot at the x-height.
  2. 2Add the first arch as a thin curve from the stem top, ending in a second stem that matches the first.
  3. 3Repeat the arch to make a third stem, keeping every gap equal to the inside of an n.
  4. 4Check the three feet against the baseline and adjust any that fall short.

Tip: Write an m, then a row of n's. The first two stems of the m should match any n, and if they do not, your spacing is uneven.

What makes M awkward or easy

The M is awkward because it has more strokes than any other letter, and the capital's ornamental arches can run together into dark patches. The lowercase demands three even gaps in a narrow space, so small errors accumulate quickly across the width.

Variations

Textura capital M often has a compact, vertical structure, while Fraktur forms add rounder arches and a flourish at the top. Some Rotunda and Schwabacher forms are wider and rounder. As with other capitals, individual alphabets mix these features, so be careful about assuming a single standard.

Common mistakes with Old English M

  • The gaps between the stems are unequal.

    Mark the stem positions with light pencil ticks at equal intervals before inking.

  • The arches of the capital run together in a dark mass.

    Lighten the arches with the corner of the nib and keep the white space inside each one open.

  • The lowercase m is much wider than n and u.

    Aim for about one and a half times the width of an n, and tighten the gaps accordingly.

Ideas for Old English M

M is a good initial for names like Maya, Miguel or Magnus, and for mastheads such as The Morning Post. Because it is so wide, a gothic M works well as a bold centrepiece in a logo, and lowercase m's repetition gives interesting texture in a single-word tattoo.

Printable Old English M sheet

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

Old English letter M m Name: ____________________ · coolletteringgenerator.com

Old English M you can copy and paste

Both the capital M and the lowercase m have normal mathematical Fraktur forms. Fraktur: 𝔐 (U+1D510) and 𝔪 (U+1D52A). Bold Fraktur: 𝕸 (U+1D578) and 𝖒 (U+1D592).

Old English M: questions

Why is the Old English capital M so hard to read?
It is built from several arches and swelling strokes that create dense dark areas, so the shape can be confused with N or W. Keep the white space inside the arches open and avoid too many hairline decorations. A sheet of pencil guidelines helps here, since placing the stems first keeps the arches from crowding.
How wide should a blackletter lowercase m be?
About one and a half times the width of an n, with three equal stems and two arches. Proportions vary between scripts, but equal gaps matter most. If the m looks too wide, tighten the gap between stems. Test the width against your own n before you ink the final m.
What is the best way to practise M?
Draw the stems and gaps in pencil first, then add the arches in ink. Write rows of n and m together to compare. Repeat until the stems are the same weight and the gaps feel equal. Slow practice beats fast practice here, because this is the letter where spacing errors pile up.

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