How to Read Fraktur: Letter Shapes, the Long S and Ligatures

Why Fraktur is hard at first

Fraktur was the usual German typeface for centuries, so old books, newspapers, maps and family documents are full of it. Modern readers stumble because several capitals look unlike the letters we know and a few lowercase shapes resemble each other. A little practice goes a long way, and the best method is to read real printed samples slowly.

The long s and the Eszett

Fraktur usually has a long s (ſ), which looks much like an f, together with a round s. The Eszett (ß) is also usually present and is written in the ſʒ form. Unicode has the long s as its own character, U+017F.

Rules for choosing between the long and the round s vary with the period and language, so treat the shape as a clue rather than a law. When a word seems to hold an f, check whether the crossbar passes through the stem.

Letters that fool the eye

Spend time on the pairs below, because they cause many of the mistakes. Details vary from one typeface to another, so compare each letter with others on the same page before you decide.

• Capital I and J are often the same shape in older Fraktur, so context tells you which letter is meant. In the lowercase, i and j are normally told apart.
• Capital B and V can look alike at a glance, as can N and R, and C and E. Look at the loops and the stems.
• Lowercase k and t, and n and u, can look alike because of the narrow, repeated strokes.
• Long s and f differ in the crossbar, which in many typefaces runs across the stem only for the f.

Ligatures

Many Fraktur typefaces have ligatures, which are letters joined into one shape. They are left over from cursive handwriting and have rules about when to use them. Common ones are ch, ck and tz. A ligature is a single piece of type, so read it as two letters.

Unicode treats Fraktur as a presentation form of Latin letters, so these ligatures are left to fonts rather than to the characters you paste. That is one reason the copy-and-paste version of gothic text looks plainer than a printed page.

Tips for reading old German print

Start with familiar text, such as a name or a short prayer, so you can check yourself. Read the line aloud, because Fraktur often makes sense once you sound it out, and keep in mind that spelling in old books often differs from modern German.

The A–Z chart on our gothic letters page shows each letter at a readable size, which makes a handy reference when you are comparing shapes. If you need a transcription for anything important, such as a legal paper or a family record, ask someone who reads old German.