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Serif

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

A small finishing stroke attached to a letterform. Serif typefaces are widely used for book text.

Detailed Definition
A serif is the small projecting stroke or finishing detail found at the ends of stems in many letterforms. Typefaces with these features are called serif typefaces, and they have long been common in books because their varied letter shapes can support sustained reading. In poetry printing, serif type may give a page a traditional, literary, or quietly textured appearance. The particular shape of its serifs can also affect a collection's mood, from formal elegance to sturdy plainness.
Example
Example in poetry:
A serif typeface, such as Garamond, has small finishing strokes on letters and is often chosen for the body text of a poetry collection; A poet may print a traditional sonnet in a serif font to give the page a formal, bookish character; Comparing a serif font with a sans serif font helps students see how type choices alter a poem’s visual tone; A small serif font can remain readable in a long narrative poem because the letterforms guide the eye across the line
Additional Notes
A serif is the small stroke at the end of a letterform. Serif fonts often support sustained reading in books, while sans serif type can create a cleaner, more modern visual tone.
Also Known As
Serif Type Seriffed Type
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