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Point Size

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 measurement used to describe the size of type. It helps determine a page's scale and readability.

Detailed Definition
Point size is the typographic measurement used to specify the nominal size of letters, usually in points, with seventy-two points traditionally equaling one inch. It measures the type body's height rather than the visible height of every letter, so two fonts at the same point size can appear quite different. In poetry printing, point size influences line length, stanza shape, and the amount of white space on a page. A small adjustment can change a poem's visual pressure and readability.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poetry book may set its main poems in 11-point type so the lines remain readable without making the pages too long; A poet might choose 14-point type for a broadside, allowing a short poem to be read from several feet away; In a chapbook, footnotes or source notes may appear in 8-point type while the poem is printed in 12-point type; A visual poem can vary point size, making one repeated word larger each time it appears
Additional Notes
Point size measures type height, usually in points. Larger type can make a poem feel open or dramatic, while smaller type may fit longer lines but can reduce readability.
Also Known As
Type Size Point
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