Anatomy of a Character

Arm/leg – An upper or lower (horizontal or diagonal) stroke that is attached on one end and free on the other.


Ascender – The part of a lowercase character (b, d, f, h, k, l, t) that extends above the x-height.

Bar – The horizontal stroke in characters such as A, H, R, e, and f.

Bowl – A curved stroke which creates an enclosed space within a character (the space is then called a counter).

Cap Height – The height of capital letters from the baseline to the top of caps, most accurately measured on a character with a flat bottom (E, H, I, etc.).

Counter – The partially or fully enclosed space within a character.

Descender – The part of a character (g, j, p, q, y, and sometimes J) that descends below the baseline.

Ear – The small stroke that projects from the top of the lowercase g.

Link – The stroke that connects the top and bottom part (bowl and loop) of a two–story lowercase g.

Loop – The lower portion of the lowercase g.

Serif – The projections extending off the main strokes of the characters of serif typefaces. Serifs come in two styles: bracketed and unbracketed. Brackets are the supportive curves which connect the serif to the stroke. Unbracketed serifs are attached sharply, and usually at 90 degree angles.

Shoulder – The curved stroke of the h, m, n.

Spine – The main curved stroke of the S.

Spur – A small projection off a main stroke found on many capital Gs.

Stem – A straight vertical stroke (or the main straight diagonal stroke in a letter which has no verticals).

Stress – The direction of thickening in a curved stroke.

Stroke – A straight or curved line.

Swash – A fancy flourish replacing a terminal or serif.

Tail – The descender of a Q or short diagonal stroke of an R.

Terminal – The end of a stroke not terminated with a serif.

X-height – The height of lowercase letters, specifically the lowercase x, not including ascenders and descenders.