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R in Old English Letters

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

Capital R
Lowercase r

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

R is a hybrid letter, with a bowl like P and a leg like K, and it has one of the more unusual lowercase forms in the alphabet. The lowercase r is a short stem with a small flag or hook at the shoulder, sometimes shaped like a 2 in older printing. Many of the misreadings in blackletter lettering involve this letter.

Outline version to colour or trace

Open in the Old English text generator →

How to draw a Old English capital R

  1. 1Draw the heavy stem with the pen at about 45 degrees, giving it a diamond head and foot.
  2. 2Add the bowl as in a P, two angled strokes that leave the stem at the top and return to it near the middle.
  3. 3Draw the leg as a diagonal that leaves the bowl's lower join and moves to the bottom right, ending in a small diamond.
  4. 4Check that the leg is clearly heavier than the bowl's hairlines and that it does not touch the foot of the stem.

Tip: Let the leg start from the bowl, not the stem. This keeps the leg angled outward and avoids the R looking like a K with a bowl.

How to draw a Old English lowercase r

  1. 1Draw the stem as a short downstroke from the x-height to the baseline, with a diamond foot.
  2. 2Add the shoulder as a thin hairline that leaves the top and bends to the right in a single curve.
  3. 3Finish the shoulder with a small flag, drawn as a short, slightly angled cut.
  4. 4Keep the flag short so that it does not collide with the next letter.

Tip: Write r next to n. The r is simply half an n with a flag. If the two stems do not match in weight, the whole word will look uneven.

What makes R awkward or easy

R is awkward because it combines a bowl and a leg, and the thin and thick strokes must balance. The lowercase r has a form that is easy to confuse with v or x in short words, since the flag is a small detail.

Variations

Textura and Fraktur lowercase r often take a shape that is drawn after round letters like o, and in some manuscripts a different r form, resembling a 2, appears after o and similar letters. This is well attested in Gothic hands, but its use varies. The Fraktur capital R is in the Letterlike Symbols block as ℜ.

Common mistakes with Old English R

  • The leg of the R touches the stem and the letter looks like a K.

    Start the leg from the bowl and angle it outward, leaving a clear gap beside the stem.

  • The flag of the lowercase r is too long.

    Cut it short and neat, so that it does not push the following letter away.

  • The bowl is open, leaving the R looking like a number 2.

    Close the bowl with a hairline that meets the stem.

Ideas for Old English R

R is an excellent initial for names like Rosa, Rafael or Rowan, and for mastheads such as The Register. A capital R in blackletter is a favourite for bands and clubs, and the lowercase r adds an interesting detail in a word, since its shape is quite different from the surrounding letters.

Printable Old English R sheet

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

Old English letter R r Name: ____________________ · coolletteringgenerator.com

Old English R you can copy and paste

This letter is an exception: the capital Fraktur R is held in the Letterlike Symbols block, while lowercase r is in the normal run. Fraktur: ℜ (U+211C) and 𝔯 (U+1D52F). Bold Fraktur: 𝕽 (U+1D57D) and 𝖗 (U+1D597).

Old English R: questions

Why is the Fraktur capital R in a different Unicode block?
The mathematical Fraktur alphabet reuses a character that was already encoded in the Letterlike Symbols block, so the capital R sits there while lowercase r is in the regular block. Both copy and paste as text without any problem. If your app shows an empty box for the capital, the font lacks the Letterlike Symbols block rather than the Fraktur block.
How can I tell K and R apart?
The R has a closed bowl on top, while the K has two angled arms. The R's leg starts from the bowl and the K's from the stem. A clear bowl hairline is the key to avoiding confusion. A quick test is to cover the upper half of the letter: a K still shows two arms, whereas an R shows a bowl.
Is there a special lowercase r in blackletter?
Some Gothic hands use a form resembling a numeral 2 after round letters such as o, and a plain r elsewhere. This is a historical convention and is not required in modern lettering. For a clean look, use one form consistently.

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