CXO Chart, page-360

This pattern is characterized by a large black body engulfing a preceding smaller white body, which appears during an uptrend. The black body does not necessarily engulf the shadows of the white body but totally engulfs the body itself. This is an important top reversal signal.

The length of the first white candlestick is not important. It can even be a Doji. The second one, however, has to be a normal or long black candlestick. Either the body tops or the body bottoms of the two candlesticks may be at the same level, but in any case, the black body of the Bearish Engulfing Pattern should be longer than the previous white body.