Cursive B

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On the same lines the capital B and the small b are the same height: both reach the cap height, and neither drops below the baseline. The small b is a little narrower, 0.93 of the capital's width.

Capital B, two open curves

The capital B has a slanted line that runs from the baseline to the cap height. Two rounded parts are stacked on the right of that line. A short line comes up from the left and meets the slanted line at its top. This short line begins between the x-height and the cap height.

The upper rounded part swings out from just under the top and comes back in to a small knot just above the x-height. The lower rounded part leaves from that same knot. Of the two, the upper one reaches a little further right.

Neither rounded part is closed, so the capital B holds no enclosed space. The knot stops short of the slanted line. The lower curve sweeps back to the left along the baseline and ends close beside the foot of the line, short of it too.

Small b, a loop above a cup

The small b begins at the far left, on the baseline, with a line that sweeps up to the right. That line folds into a tall, narrow loop. The loop is closed, and its top reaches the cap height.

The left edge of the loop is straight. About halfway between the baseline and the x-height, this edge cuts across the line that came in from the left. Below the crossing the small b is an open cup, which rounds along the baseline and climbs the right side.

The right side of the cup ends in a blunt tip at about the x-height, and it has no tail. That tip is not the point furthest right on the small b. The point furthest right is on the tall loop, well above the x-height.

Two curves on a line, or one loop over a cup

Apart from their height, the capital B and the small b share little in shape. The capital has two rounded parts on a slanted line. The small letter has a tall loop over an open cup, and that loop is the only closed part in either of them.

Crib, grub and swab end in b

The words below show the small b in three places. Crib, grub and swab end in b, after i, u and a.

Capital P, capital R and small l

In this font the capital B resembles two other capitals, and the small b resembles one other small letter.

The capital P has the same slanted line from the baseline to the cap height and the same short line coming up to its top from the left. It also has a rounded part that swings out to the right from just under the top. On the capital P that rounded part ends near the x-height. The capital B goes on below it with a second, larger curve down to the baseline.

On the capital R, the slanted line at the left, the short line that meets its top and the upper rounded part are nearly the same as on the capital B. The two differ below the middle. There the capital B curves around and back to the left along the baseline, while the capital R sends a leg down to the right that turns up at the end.

The small l and the small b both have a line that rises from the baseline at the left into a tall, narrow loop, and on both the loop reaches the cap height. They part at the bottom. The small l turns up into a short tail, and the small b swings wider and climbs back to the x-height at the right.

• Capital P
• Capital R
• Small l

SCRIPT CAPITAL B is in another block

As text characters in the Cursive style, the small b is MATHEMATICAL SCRIPT SMALL B, U+1D4B7, and the capital B is U+212C, SCRIPT CAPITAL B. The capital's character is in the Letterlike Symbols block.