Our own drawing, from the Alphabet Atlas letter set.
Bubble letter S (and s)
A bubble letter S is the plain letter S puffed up into a rounded tube with a dark outline, and the quickest way to draw one is to sketch the thin letter first, outline it one finger-width outside, round every corner and erase the first line.
S and s in 6 colours
About the bubble letter S
Bubble S and s sit at position 19 of 26 in the alphabet. In English text s is the 7th most common letter, making up about 6.3% of the letters, so you will draw it often.
The lowercase s has no closed hole, which makes it one of the easier bubble letters: one fat tube, rounded at both ends. It sits between the baseline and the midline like most lowercase letters.
The capital S is mostly curves, so it adapts to the bubble style with very little change.
How to draw it, step by step
- Sketch a thin, light S in pencil. Start just below the top line at the right side. Curve down and to the left, ending just above the baseline at the left side.
- Draw a second line about a finger-width outside the first, all the way round. If the letter has holes, draw a smaller line inside each one.
- Round every corner and merge the outlines wherever two strokes meet or cross.
- Erase the first sketch, add a short curved highlight near the top left of each stroke, then colour it in and darken the outline.
The thin letter underneath
Every display letter starts as a plain letter. These are the strokes of the thin version:
- Start just below the top line at the right side. Curve down and to the left, ending just above the baseline at the left side.
Tips for bubble letters
- Fat letters need space: leave about a quarter of a letter-width between neighbours.
- Keep the outline the same width all the way round; it is the detail that makes the letter look professional.
- A highlight on the same side of every letter makes a row of bubble letters look lit from one direction.
Words that start with S
More about this letter
See the same letter in other styles: cursive s, cursive capital S, print s. Or use the bubble letters generator for a whole word.
Questions about the bubble letter S
How do you draw a bubble letter S?
A bubble letter S is the plain letter S puffed up into a rounded tube with a dark outline, and the quickest way to draw one is to sketch the thin letter first, outline it one finger-width outside, round every corner and erase the first line.
Is the bubble letter S free to use?
Yes. The s on this page was drawn for Alphabet Atlas, so you can print it and use it for school projects, posters, cards and notes. Please do not resell the artwork as a font.
How do I make a whole word in bubble letters?
Open the bubble letters generator, type your text, choose colours and download a PNG with a transparent background.