Material removal process of ceramics is experimentally and analytically investigated in orthogonal cutting. Mullite, glass ceramics (Macor), sintered alumina and glass are applied in the experi-ments. Large scale fracture and small scale one alternate in the process. The large scale fracture, which appears under large actual depth of cut, initiates in the material at cutting point and propagates initially downward in the cutting direction and then turns upward to emerge to the free surface. This predominates in total removal. Thesmall scale fracture appears in cutting shallow portion caused by previous large scale fracture. Following three types of fracture take place independently or simultaneously in the process of the small scale fracture. That is, (1) fracture, similar to the large scale fracture, with so small size as to end in previously generated fracture surface, (2) fracture caused by coalescence of cracks initiated in front of and behind the cutting point, (3) stopped cracks under cut surface. Elastic fracture stress analysis is carried out to distinguish the removal processes of the large scale fracture and small scale one.