Old English Font Generator

Old English font text is the pointed blackletter look, like 𝔉𝔯𝔞𝔨𝔱𝔲𝔯 and 𝕭𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝕱𝖗𝖆𝖐𝖙𝖚𝖗, made from Unicode characters. Type below to see your words in gothic letters, copy them, and use the full A–Z chart to check every letter. It is real text, not a font file.

Make Old English text in three steps

1. Type your word or phrase in the box. The three rows show Fraktur, bold Fraktur and Fraktur with an underline.
2. Check the capitals. Blackletter capitals are elaborate, and some are hard to tell apart, such as the capital I and J.
3. Press Copy. You can also tap one of the ready-made words under the tool for a quick label or tag.

The full A–Z chart

Use the chart to look up any letter. The last column gives the real code point of the Fraktur capital. Five capitals, C, H, I, R and Z, have code points outside the main run, which is why they differ from their neighbors.

Where the name comes from

Blackletter began as a medieval book hand that developed from an earlier script at the end of the 12th century, and it was used across Western Europe from about the late 12th to the 17th century. It is popularly called Gothic and is sometimes called Old English lettering, but it should not be confused with the Old English language, which is much older and was written in other scripts. In Germany the word Fraktur is often used for any blackletter form. Gutenberg used a blackletter type for his 42-line Bible, printed in 1455. Source: Wikipedia, article Blackletter. For something playful, flip your words with upside down text.

Using blackletter text well

• Keep it short. A single word or short label reads best. A full sentence in blackletter is slow to read.
• Mind the capitals. They are the most ornate letters, so write names with care and check the result.
• Check where it shows. Some apps and older devices lack fonts for these characters and show boxes.
• Keep it as text. Examples such as a word on a team shirt or a design sketch can be drafted here, but final artwork should use a real font file.

Device check

The letters are copied exactly as shown, and the code points are in the chart. We have not yet tested them on specific phones or systems. If a letter shows as a box, email [email protected] with the letter, device and system version. More text styles are on fonts copy and paste.

Frequently asked questions

Is Old English font the same as the Old English language?

No. The language called Old English is the form of English spoken before about 1150 and was written in other scripts. The Old English font is a blackletter style from later medieval Europe, which got that nickname in modern lettering.

What is the difference between Fraktur and bold Fraktur?

They are two separate alphabets. Fraktur is the lighter pointed script, and bold Fraktur has heavier strokes. Both are in the Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols block and each has capitals and small letters.

Why do some capitals have strange code points?

Five Fraktur capitals, C, H, I, R and Z, are stored in the Letterlike Symbols block instead of beside the others. The tool uses the right code for each, so the word stays complete.

Can I use it in a tattoo or on a jersey?

The text works as a sample or a guide to the letters. A tattoo artist or printer will use a real font file for the final design, because Unicode letters are not designed for large sizes.

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