English lettering tattoo: best ideas and meaning
English is the most common language for tattooed phrases – it is concise, understood all over the world, and many well-known mottos were born in it. That is exactly why mistakes slip in so easily, and a native speaker spots them at a glance. Which words would you carry in English?
Gallery – English lettering
Why get an English lettering tattoo?
People choose English mainly because it is concise. A thought that takes a whole sentence in other languages fits into two or three words, so the lettering stays small and readable. And almost anyone you meet can read it, wherever you are.
The most common requests are short mottos such as stay strong, never give up, no regrets, breathe or family, sentences like this too shall pass and everything happens for a reason, and names with a date completed by the word forever. The second big group is quotes from books and films and song titles.
What to watch out for with English lettering?
Most mistakes happen in small details. Your and you're, its and it's, lose and loose get mixed up – and on skin, a mistake like that cannot be fixed with one click. Literal translation is just as tricky: a sentence that makes sense in your own language can sound unnatural in English or mean something else.
Always have the text checked by someone who really knows English and find out how the phrase is actually used. Watch apostrophes and capitals too: the pronoun I is capitalised even mid-sentence, and the apostrophe should be straight or typographically correct, not a quotation mark.
Which style and placement suit English lettering?
Fine thin lines and script lead our gallery, but many clients have their lettering done in red or colour – red lettering is one of the most frequent requests. English text is often joined by a small motif: a butterfly, a flower, a dandelion, an infinity sign, a lion or a dagger. Matching lettering for friends or a whole group is popular too.
We most often tattoo English lettering on the forearm, upper arm, biceps and triceps, followed by the ribs, back, thigh and wrist. Short lettering heals quickly and can be extended with another motif later.
Our artists will gladly help you with the text and suggest a font that suits it.
