TeXipedia

ss

Represents the sharp s (eszett) character used in German orthography, appearing as a ligature of two lowercase s letters.

Overview

Essential for correctly typesetting German text and loanwords containing the eszett character (ß). While modern German spelling reforms have reduced its usage in some contexts, it remains a crucial character for:

  • Academic writing involving German language content
  • Proper names and geographical locations
  • Historical German texts and references
  • Linguistic documentation and language studies

The symbol maintains special significance in formal typography and professional document preparation where accurate representation of German text is required.

Examples

Using the German sharp s (eszett) in a German word.

StraßeStra\text{\ss}e
Stra\text{\ss}e

Showing both regular s and sharp s in a comparative example.

gross vs. groß\text{gross vs. gro\ss}
\text{gross vs. gro\ss}

Multiple sharp s characters in a compound German word.

Maßstaße\text{Ma\ss{}sta\ss}e
\text{Ma\ss{}sta\ss}e