Can You Identify All of These Calligraphy Letters?

By: Teresa McGlothlin
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Identify All of These Calligraphy Letters?
Image: Randall Fung / duncan1890 / Corbis / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Although calligraphy might just look like fancy letters, it has a long history. From the Ancient Chinese to modern uses, calligraphy forces the eye to observe the aesthetic of a letter rather than the meaning of the letter. Throughout this quiz, we want to see how many letters your eyes will be able to identify. 

Unlike now, unique handwriting skills held a valuable place in society. Individualized takes on calligraphy and handwriting made documents harder to forge before the use of copy machines. As we go through this quiz, we are going to present you with 40 photos of beautifully written uppercase and lowercase letters. Do you think you'll be able to identify all of them? 

When you see the letter we have presented, take a moment to make sure you know what it is before you make your selection. The furthest thing from typeface, calligraphy letters might take a little study to get them right. Unless you've practiced your calligraphy skills recently, you might find some of the letters you see a little challenging to identify. However, you will enjoy learning the tidbits about the history of letters once you answer. How well will you do with letters written in calligraphy? Now's your chance to find out. 

x This lowercase letter is said to mark the spot - what is it?
x
k
u
w
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you wanted to mark a spot, you might want to use the uppercase version. In any event, the calligraphy letter pictured here is the lowercase x.

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q This calligraphy letter has an elegant tail - what is the letter?
r
q
o
p
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

At one point in time, Benjamin Franklin wanted to ban certain letters of the alphabet. Including the letter Q like the one seen here, Franklin also proposed getting rid of the J, W, C, and the X. He planned to replace him with letters of his own creation.

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S Can you figure out which capital letter you see in this photo?
C
U
H
S
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Until the early 1800s, the letter S resembled a lowercase F. It was called the "long s," and you can see it used in many historical manuscripts, including the American Bill of Rights.

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d It might resemble a musical half-note, but what lowercase letter do you see here?
f
d
b
p
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When written in calligraphy, the letter D looks rather elegant. As the fourth letter in the conventional alphabet, the letter D was one of only 24 letters in the Elizabethan alphabet.

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O Which round, uppercase letter do you see in this photo?
P
Q
O
C
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Did you know that very few letters are actually used to start words in pairs of two? Although the letters L, A, and E are also frequently doubled, the letter O like the one seen here holds the record as the letter with the most double started words in the English language.

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J This letter has a tail that goes to the left - which letter is it?
J
G
A
T
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The letter J holds a special distinction. It was the last letter added to the modern English alphabet. Additionally, J is only one of two letters that does not appear on the periodic table - the letter Q is also missing.

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l Can you identify this long, lowercase letter written in calligraphy?
l
f
t
k
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In Roman numerals, the letter L is used to represent the number 50. Because they feared bad publicity for using the L as a symbol for the 50th Super Bowl, the NFL decided against using it because it represents the word loser.

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M If you turned this letter over, it would be something different. What is it now?
W
U
M
V
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When you see the letter M in Roman numerals, it represents the number 1,000. If you were to turn this M upside down, you would have a W.

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B Which bumpy letter do you see written in calligraphy?
P
R
B
D
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although there are dozens of letters that you can use to spell numbers, B is one of the rarest. You will not encounter a B in a number sequence until you reach at least 1 billion.

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C When written in calligraphy, letters look fancy . What letter do you see written here?
G
C
Q
Y
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Until the Romans separated the letters, both the C like the one pictured here, and the G were one letter. It was a letter used by the Phoenicians to represent a camel.

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X capital Two crossing lines make this letter. Can you identify it?
X
N
I
L
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Phoenicians used the letter X to represent fish. Although it's a member of the alphabet now, Descartes is cited as being the first person to introduce the use of the letter in mathematics.

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Y This letter can function as a vowel or a consonant, but can you correctly identify it?
K
E
Z
Y
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sometimes called a semivowel, the letter Y can be used as both a consonant and a vowel. It stands at the end of the English alphabet between the letters Z and X.

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m lowercase What is the name of the lowercase letter you see scrawled in calligraphy in this photo?
n
w
m
c
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The uppercase version of the letter M seen here is the Roman numeral for the number 1,000. You probably already knew that, but did you know that the letter M is the only letter of the alphabet that requires you to touch your lips to say?

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V Can you identify this letter with a sharp bottom?
V
W
N
G
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According to Merriam-Webster, the letter V is the only letter that is never silent. The first instance of the letter V and the letter U being used separately occurred in a Gothic script from 1386.

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W Which letter of the alphabet do you see elegantly written here?
V
M
W
A
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During the times of ancient Romans, they did not have a symbol to represent the letter W. Instead, the would write "uu." Now you know why we call it double-u.

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L capital Are you able to identify the uppercase letter you see here?
L
I
F
Z
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although the letter L is the 13th letter of the English alphabet, it was the 12th letter in the Roman alphabet. It is also the Roman numeral that symbolizes the number 50.

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A This letter appears early in the alphabet. What is it?
D
A
E
F
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you turn the letter A upside down, you will see the way ancient Egyptians used to write it. They used it as a symbol to represent a bull with horns.

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Q uppercase It's easy to confuse this uppercase letter - do you know which letter it is?
G
Y
Z
Q
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The letter Q makes an appearance in the English language on average every 510 letters. It is considered the most rarely used member of the alphabet.

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Z Which member of the alphabet do you see written here?
Z
N
K
E
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Once the mark of Zorro, the letter Z has an interesting history. Although it is the last member of the English alphabet, it stood at a respectable number seven when it appeared in the Greek alphabet.

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E This letter is the most popular in the English language - can you identify it?
F
E
K
H
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The letter E is quite popular. In fact, it appears in more than 10 percent of all English words. According to research, the letter E is used 56 more times than the letter Q.

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P Can you decipher this letter written in fancy script?
R
P
F
D
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

P is an often under-praised letter of the alphabet. In addition to its unique sound, the letter P is the only letter in the English language that can sandwich any vowel and create a new word.

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H What is the uppercase, calligraphy letter you see in this photo?
F
H
E
A
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The letter H was once considered a letter of the lower class in British society. In fact, the pronunciation of the letter H still varies all over the British Isles and some dialects have eliminated it completely.

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I This letter looks like a barbell on its side - what letter is it?
I
J
T
L
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although you see the uppercase version of the letter I here, the lowercase version has something in common with the letter J. The little dot found on both when written in lowercase is called a tittle. No other letters in the alphabet have a tittle.

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K This letter falls in the middle of the alphabet - which letter do you see?
F
H
K
N
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The letter K is the 11th letter of the alphabet. In spiritual circles, it is said to represent your path with your reality. In the early days of baseball, the letter K was used to indicate a strikeout.

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T Are you able to identify the letter pictured here?
T
J
I
L
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the English language, the letter T is the most often used consonant. Standing in the number 20 position in the alphabet, T is also the second most common letter used in modern writing.

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R You can roll this letter - can you identify it?
P
G
C
R
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Because of the growling dog sound Romans produced when pronouncing the letter R, it is sometimes called the "litteria canina." When translated, it means the letter of the dogs.

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n If you turned this lowercase letter upside down, it would be a vowel. What letter is it?
v
n
u
s
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During Phoenician times, the letter N evolved into the Aramaic word for fish. In fact, the shape of the letter N was made to mirror the shape of crashing waves.

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F Which letter do you see in calligraphy in this photo?
H
A
E
F
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

These days, we associate the letter F with a bad grade. Before 1898, the letter E was used instead, but educators felt that the letter F was a much stronger statement because it means "failed."

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U You might use this letter as a text abbreviation, but can you identify it?
P
V
N
U
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Until 1557, the letters U and V were used interchangeably. The letter U like the one pictured here finally got its own identity as a vowel when a French education reformer thought it made more sense.

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a lowercase Can you figure out which lowercase letter is in this photo?
a
e
o
u
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As the first letter of the alphabet, the A has an important job. Additionally, it is only one of four letters that can be doubled to start unique words. The only other letters with the same distinction are E, O, and L.

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i lowercase This lowercase letter has a tittle, but do you know what it is?
j
i
q
g
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Also called a superscript dot, the dot on top of the lowercase I is sometimes called a tittle. The lowercase J is the only other letter to have this important feature.

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D uppercase Are you able to identify the bold, uppercase letter you see here?
P
B
D
G
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The letter D is often associated with the words doom and disaster. However, in military operations, the letter D is simply short for "day."

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G What name would you give the letter in this photo?
C
G
Q
P
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Standing in line at the seventh position of the alphabet, the letter G can easily be confused for the letter C. In fact, they were considered the same letter until the early Romans gave it the little crossbar to separate the two.

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e lowercase Can you identify this lowercase letter?
f
e
i
k
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Without the letter E, we wouldn't be able to spell many words in the English language. The letter E is the most frequently used letter in the English language.

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L capital 2 This letter is a tough one - what is it?
Q
L
S
J
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The letter L is the 11th letter in the English alphabet.

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q lowercase 2 What is the name of this curly lowercase letter?
q
g
p
y
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If the curly end on the lowercase Q were turned the other way, it would be a G. You can give credit to ancient Romans for adding the little kick at the bottom of the letter.

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b lowercase This lowercase letter resembles the musical symbol meaning flat, what letter is it?
d
b
p
g
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In musical circles, the symbol meaning flat almost resembles the letter B like the one seen here. When it comes to numbers, the letter B is the least used letter.

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f lowercase Which fancy lowercase letter is written in calligraphy here?
f
g
t
h
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Before it was changed, the lowercase S used to resemble the letter F like the one seen here. The only difference is the horizontal line running through the letter F.

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s lowercase Do you know the name of the lowercase letter seen here?
c
f
s
g
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With its semi-circles on both the top and the bottom, the letter S holds the 19th place in the alphabet. Depending on penmanship, the only difference between the upper and lowercase S is the size.

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j lowercase This lowercase letter has a hook and a dot, but what letter is it?
j
g
q
i
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Invented by an Italian in 1524, the letter J is the 10th letter in the English alphabet. It is only one of two letters that do not appear on the periodic table of elements.

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