Typography Terms Explained: Serif, Sans-Serif, Kerning

Tap a term to see what it means.

Serif

A typeface with small decorative strokes at the ends of letters, giving a traditional, trustworthy feel — frequently used for body text in books and newspapers.

Sans-Serif

A clean typeface with no decorative strokes, giving a modern, simple feel — widely used for on-screen display type.

Monospace (Fixed-Width)

A typeface where every character occupies the same width, mainly used for writing code where characters need to align.

Script

A typeface designed to look like flowing handwriting, often used for wedding invitations and emotionally expressive designs.

Display

A distinctive, attention-grabbing typeface made for headlines and logos rather than body text.

Kerning

The process of adjusting the space between two specific letters individually, fine-tuning them so the letters appear visually even.

Leading (Line Height)

The vertical space between one line of text and the next — a factor with a major impact on readability.

X-Height

The height of a lowercase letter without ascenders or descenders, like the letter x — the larger this value, the more readable text stays even at small sizes.

Choosing a Typeface Is the First Step in Design

The exact same sentence can feel completely different depending on the typeface used. Knowing the basic typeface categories and terms makes it much easier to express the intended feeling precisely in documents and design work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is serif or sans-serif better for body text?

Serif is traditionally considered more readable in print, while sans-serif is considered more readable on screens — but there's no single right answer, and the choice should match the design's intent.

Are kerning and letter-spacing the same thing?

They're similar but different. Letter-spacing (tracking) adjusts the gap uniformly between all characters, while kerning adjusts the gap between one specific pair of letters individually.