Letter b
The secretary hand letter b is similar to the modern b, but nearer to a modern capital B, as you can see below.
Image
![b, box, breithren](/sites/default/files/styles/maximum_size/public/2024-02/letter_b_01.gif?itok=TG74OJsJ)
The b is one of several letters which are frequently confused in Secretary Hand. The Secretary Hand e, b and d can all come out looking like a oval with a line through it, like the Greek letter theta:
Image
![theta](/sites/default/files/styles/maximum_size/public/2024-02/theta_01.gif?itok=IVIJybYw)
In the examples below, can you tell the letters apart?
Image
![-](/sites/default/files/styles/maximum_size/public/2024-02/letter_b_02.gif?itok=IBep-Rl-)
They are b, e, and d. The b is also easily confused with the letter u/v and even with one form of the Secretary Hand s, as you can see below (b, v, s).
Image
![b, u/v, s](/sites/default/files/styles/maximum_size/public/2024-02/letter_b_03.gif?itok=LVRY4DWs)
The last form that a secretary hand b can look similar to is the numeral 6, as the date 1668 below shows.
Image
![1668](/sites/default/files/styles/maximum_size/public/2024-02/year1668_01.gif?itok=cGU0MtwD)