B, the German Kurrent letter b
B is the 2nd letter of the German alphabet, representing a voiced bilabial plosive /b/, which undergoes final-obstruent devoicing (Auslautverhärtung) to voiceless /p/ at the end of syllables and words. In German Kurrent handwriting, it has a distinct historical ductus taught across German-speaking Europe until 1941.
In words
Liebe · love; dear
Brief · letter
Bruder · brother
Easy to confuse with
Looks like l (Kurrent l)
The b closes its tall loop at the middle line with a short arm before it moves on; the l is a tall loop alone and leaves from the baseline.
Looks like h (Kurrent h)
The h goes below the baseline in a loop; the b stays on the line and closes at the middle line with a short arm.
History
The letter B occupies the 2nd position in the German alphabet. Phonetically, it represents a voiced bilabial plosive /b/, which undergoes final-obstruent devoicing (Auslautverhärtung) to voiceless /p/ at the end of syllables and words.
Lowercase b in Kurrent is a tall ascender letter spanning the upper and middle zones. The scribe begins with an ascending loop reaching into the upper third of the line, descends with a straight spine to the baseline, and ascends into a rounded right-hand belly that closes with a horizontal connecting arm at mid-height. Capital B features a bold primary stem flanked on the right by two stacked rounded lobes, often introduced with a flourish on the left.
The letter b is indispensable in genealogical research, opening vital vocabulary such as 'geboren' (born), 'begraben' (buried), 'Braut' (bride), and 'Bürger' (citizen). Recognizing its distinctive mid-height connecting arm prevents confusion with neighboring tall looped characters like l and h.