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Kerning

Printing
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The adjustment of space between particular pairs of characters. It improves the visual fit of letters in a line.

Detailed Definition
Kerning is the selective adjustment of space between individual letter pairs, such as A and V or T and o, when ordinary spacing leaves an awkward gap. Although subtle, it affects the texture and legibility of a printed poetic line, especially in titles, display type, and centered text. Careful kerning can prevent a poem's typography from distracting readers, while deliberate irregularity may be used in concrete or visual poetry to make spacing part of the work's meaning.
Example
Example in poetry:
Kerning is the adjustment of space between particular letter pairs to make a word look evenly spaced; A poetry title such as “AVOWAL” may need kerning because the A and V can otherwise leave an awkward gap; Careful kerning in a broadside prevents a large display word from distracting readers from the poem; A poet should check kerning after choosing a decorative font, since uneven letter spacing can change the visual rhythm of a line
Additional Notes
Kerning adjusts awkward gaps between specific letter pairs, such as A and V. Good kerning supports readability and prevents spacing from distracting attention away from a poem’s language.
Also Known As
Character Kerning Pair Kerning
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