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Block Letters Alphabet

The block letters alphabet is the set of plain, upright capitals built from straight strokes of even width, with no loops, slant or flourishes. This page shows A to Z in solid and outline form, explains how each letter is built, and says where block letters work best, from forms to posters.

Block letter alphabet

Rendered in the Bungee typeface (an open-source font, not hand-drawn). A signage-style block face with a single case

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z
  • a
  • b
  • c
  • d
  • e
  • f
  • g
  • h
  • i
  • j
  • k
  • l
  • m
  • n
  • o
  • p
  • q
  • r
  • s
  • t
  • u
  • v
  • w
  • x
  • y
  • z
  • 0
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9

Printable outline sheet

Hollow versions of the letters and numbers for colouring, tracing or planning a design.

Outline letters coolletteringgenerator.com · Bungee typeface

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

Key facts

  • A block letter is a plain, upright letter with strokes of even thickness and no loops, slant or thick-and-thin contrast.
  • The A to Z sheet on this page is set in Bungee, an open-source typeface, with a hollow outline version made for printing and colouring.
  • Each block capital is built from stems, bars, bowls, diagonals and counters, and the counters should stay open.
  • Good block lettering varies letter width (I narrow, M and W wide) while keeping the stroke weight constant.
  • In a sans-serif block style, 0 and O and 1 and I look almost identical, which matters when a scanner reads a form.
  • Unicode has no true block-letter style to paste, so the text decorator frames ordinary text with boxes and borders instead.

What are block letters?

A block letter is a plain, upright letter with strokes of even thickness and no flourishes: no loops, no slant, no thick and thin contrast. Think of the capitals on a road sign or a printed form. Because every stroke is a simple line, block letters are the first lettering most people draw, and the foundation for bubble letters, which round every corner and inflate the stroke, graffiti, which overlaps and distorts the letters, and most poster lettering. For a precise definition, including how the term is used in different settings, see what are block letters.

The block letters alphabet from A to Z

The alphabet on this page is rendered in Bungee, an open-source display typeface designed for signs that read vertically as well as horizontally. It is a font, not hand-drawn lettering, and we label it so. Below it you will find an outline version, the same shapes drawn as hollow lines, made to be printed and coloured in. Use the solid sheet as a model for proportions, and the outline sheet as a worksheet.

What are the parts of a block letter?

Each block capital is built from a few ingredients.

  • Stems are the vertical strokes in letters like H, E, L and T.
  • Bars are horizontal strokes, such as the crossbar in A and H or the arms of E and F.
  • Bowls are the curved parts of B, D, P and R, often drawn squarer in block lettering.
  • Diagonals appear in A, K, M, N, V, W, X, Y, Z.
  • Counters are the enclosed holes in A, B, D, O, P, Q, R; keep them open.

Where should I start?

  • To read a form or label: use the capitals and the table below, and keep 0 and O distinct.
  • To learn the shapes: print the outline sheet and trace one word, then try the drawing guide.
  • To preview a word in a heavy font: use the lettering image maker.

How do I get the proportions right?

The most common mistake is giving every letter the same width. In good block lettering, I is narrow, M and W are wide, and O is close to a circle or a rounded square. Keep the stroke weight constant, but vary the letter width and then fix the gaps by eye: the visual space between letters should look even, not measure even. A straight-sided pair such as HI needs more space than a diagonal pair such as AV.

Where do block letters work best?

Use Why block letters fit Tip
Posters and banners Readable from a distance Step back to the real viewing distance and check that you can read it
Forms and labels Easy to read and to scan Print one letter per box, in capitals, in dark ink
Maps and diagrams Compact and neutral Keep the size consistent
School projects Easy to draw and colour Pencil guidelines, then outline in marker
Logos and headings Strong and simple Use a heavy weight for short words only

Are there lowercase block letters and numerals?

Lowercase

Block lettering is not limited to capitals. A lowercase block alphabet uses the same even stroke, with round bowls for a, b, d, g, p and q and straight stems for i, l and t.

Numerals

Numerals follow the same rules: even stroke, open counters, and a flat or lightly curved base. When mixing numbers into a block-lettered heading, check 0 against O and 1 against I, because in a sans-serif block style these pairs look almost identical, and a form read by a scanner may need them to be distinct.

How do I turn plain block letters into something fancier?

Block lettering is a base layer. Add a drop shadow by offsetting a copy of each letter down and to the right. Add a 3D effect by joining the corners of the letter to the corners of the shadow. Round every corner and inflate the strokes to get bubble lettering. Slant the letters and add an outline for a sports look.

When you are ready to draw the block letters alphabet yourself, how to draw block letters gives a step-by-step method with a grid. To preview a word in a heavy block font and download it as an image, use the lettering image maker. Unicode has no true block-letter style to paste. To frame ordinary text with boxes, brackets and borders, use the text decorator instead.

Frequently asked questions

Basics

Are the block letters on this page hand-drawn?
No. The A to Z sheet is rendered in Bungee, an open-source typeface, and the outline version uses the same shapes with a hollow fill. Hand-drawn block letters vary slightly, which is normal. Use the sheet as a clean reference for proportions and spacing, or print the outline version to colour.
Are block letters always capitals?
Not always. In everyday use "block letters" and "block capitals" are often treated as the same thing, and forms usually mean capitals. As a drawing style, though, there are lowercase block letters too: plain, upright, with the same even stroke width. Check what a form asks for.
How do I turn block letters into bubble letters?
Block letters have straight, even strokes and square or lightly rounded corners. Bubble letters are puffed up, with fully rounded ends and fat curves. If you draw the block version first and then round every corner and inflate the stroke, you have built a bubble letter from a block letter.
What is the block letters alphabet?
The block letters alphabet is the 26 capitals drawn as plain, upright shapes with strokes of even thickness and no loops, slant or flourishes. The sheet on this page shows A to Z solid and as a hollow outline. It is the base that bubble letters, graffiti and most poster lettering build on.
Is the block letters sheet free to print?
Yes. Viewing and printing the solid and outline sheets is free, with no sign-up or account. The letters are set in Bungee, an open-source typeface. Print the outline version at A4 or US Letter to colour, or trace the solid version. If you want them in a product, read the typeface licence yourself first.

Where it works

What are block letters used for?
They are used wherever clarity matters: posters, signs, labels, maps, and forms. Many official forms ask applicants to "print in block capitals" so a person or scanner can read each character. Their plain, even strokes also make them easy for children to learn first and to colour in.
How do I write in block capitals on a form?
Print one capital letter per box, in dark ink, with plain straight strokes and no joined writing. Keep similar pairs distinct: cross or slash a zero if the form asks, and add a short flag to a 1. Forms ask for block capitals so a person or scanner can read each character.
Can I paste block letters into a bio or caption?
Unicode has no true block-letter style, so there is nothing to copy that looks like the sheet. The nearest option is to frame ordinary text with boxes, brackets and borders using the text decorator. For a block-lettered image to place in a design, the lettering image maker exports a heavy block font as a picture.

How it works

Can I make block letters for a poster or banner?
Yes. Plan the width first, pencil a guide line at top and bottom, and keep stroke thickness the same for every letter. Use the lettering image maker to try a word in a heavy block font before drawing it by hand, then trace or print it at the size you need.
How do I add a shadow or 3D effect to block letters?
For a drop shadow, offset a copy of each letter down and to the right. For a 3D effect, join the corners of the letter to the matching corners of the shadow with straight lines. Then fill the side faces with a darker tone. Do the outline in pencil first so you can correct the angles.

Tips & limits

How do I space block letters evenly?
Space them by eye, not by ruler. A straight-sided pair such as HI needs more room than a diagonal pair such as AV, because the gap between diagonals looks bigger than it measures. Keep stroke weight constant, vary letter width, then adjust each gap until the white space between letters looks equal.
How do I tell a block 0 from the letter O?
In a sans-serif block style they look almost identical, so make them differ deliberately. Draw the zero narrower and the O closer to a circle or rounded square, and give the 1 a flag so it cannot be read as I. This matters most on forms that a scanner reads.