Typography is one of the fundamental pillars of design, as it not only complements a brand's identity but also maintains consistency, impacts readability, and ultimately contributes to a positive user experience.

To understand the various components of a character, typographers have developed a standardized set of terms commonly known as "letter anatomy" or "type anatomy." This knowledge can help designers better understand a typeface's nature and learn how to apply it effectively to their projects.

This is just the initial lesson in a three-part series on typography anatomy. Going further into each element will provide a more thorough comprehension of the complexities of typography.

Crossbar

The crossbar, also known as the bar, is the horizontal stroke that acts as a bridge between two separate lines commonly seen in characters such as A or H. The horizontal or sloping stroke defining the bottom of the enclosed space in letters e or R is also a crossbar.

Varying the thickness and slope of a crossbar, type artists can experiment with typeface design.

Arc

In biology, the stem is the core line through the center of the plant that holds buds, leaves, and roots. Conversely, the typographic arc, aka stem, is the curved stroke that extends from a straight stem and reminds more of a shoot, growing in the opposite direction. You can see it in lowercase j, f, a, u, and t.

Arm

The typographical arm resembles a physical outstretched arm. It represents a horizontal or vertical stroke that doesn't connect with another stroke or stem on either one or both ends. The top of the capital T and the horizontal strokes of capital F and E are examples of arms. Additionally, the diagonal upward stroke can also be an arm — like in capital K. Some resources use the terms "arm," "crossbar," or "cross stroke" interchangeably.[1]

Beak

The beak is a decorative stroke found at the end of an arm that looks like a more pronounced serif. It's generally shaped like a bird's beak — hence the name. You can find beaks on letters S, F, or T of most serif typefaces.

Such decorative strokes like beaks, ears, and spurs help improve readability by leading the eye along a type's line.

Ear

From the anatomic point of view, the ear is one of the smallest exterior parts of the human body. Likewise, a typographic ear is a small decorative stroke that extends from the top of a lowercase g and sometimes appears on the lowercase r as well.

Counter

The counter is the partially or fully enclosed space within a character. The inner area could be bounded by curves, strokes, or stems. Letters containing closed counters include B, D, O, P, Q, R, a, b, d, etc. You can find open counters in such letters as c, h, s, etc., and also in figures like 0, 4, 6, 8, and 9.

Typefaces with large counters are meant for road signs so drivers can see them distinctly at a distance and texts intended for people with vision problems or small print, especially on poor-quality paper.[2]

🧠Pro Tip! For better legibility, pick fonts with more extensive counters having the strokes wide apart from one another to reduce ambiguity.

Apex

The apex is the top of a symbol or character where two slanted lines or strokes meet. The intersection can be smooth, pointed, flat, and blunt. Think of an apex as the peak or highest point of a "mountain," which is what letters A and w/W resemble.

Bowl

The typographical bowl has its name for a reason, and it's reminiscent of a rounded container or dish with an open top. Likewise, the bowl can also refer to the curved part of some letters that encloses their circular or curved parts — counters. Examples include letters such as d, b, o, D, and B.

Bracket

The bracket is the curved connection that nests between the stem and serif found on some serif typefaces. The bracket's shape helps typographers indicate or at least guess which classification and style the typeface belongs to.

For example, transitional serifs, like Baskerville and Times New Roman, have intensely prominent brackets. In contrast, the hairline serifs, like Didot and Bodoni, are unbracketed and have extreme contrast between strokes.[3]

Crotch

In human anatomy, a crotch is the body part where the legs join the torso. Likewise, in typography, the crotch is the inner angle between two intersecting strokes. You can see it in M, V, W, Y, and other letters with a distinct angled overlapping of lines.

Eye

Similar to the counter, the eye is the enclosed space specifically inside lowercase letter e. As you probably have guessed, the term comes from the sensory organ of the visual system it resembles, making it easy to remember.

Diacritic

A diacritic, also known as the diacritical mark, diacritical point, diacritical sign, or accent is a glyph added to letters to modify their pronunciation. The term comes from Ancient Greek and means "distinguishing." Diacritics may appear above, below, or even between letters.

Some of the most common diacritics include:

  • Acute (') can be found in the Italian word pèsca ("peach") to indicate a stressed syllable
  • Caron or flying bird (ˇ) can be used to indicate the sound [t͡ʃ — Č/č in Czech, for example, in a word Česká Republika ("Czech Republic")
  • Grave (`) is used in such French words as où ("where") and ou ("or") to distinguish sounds

Other less common diacritics include circumflex, tilde, umlaut, etc.[4]

Understanding typography anatomy goes far beyond learning specialized terms — it forms the essential foundation for making informed design decisions. Each typographic element, from counters that affect readability to diacritics that shape meaning, plays a crucial role in how users perceive and interact with text.

For designers, this knowledge translates directly into practical applications: selecting typefaces with appropriate counter sizes for legibility, considering bracket styles for brand personality, or ensuring diacritics render clearly across different sizes. As we continue exploring typography's complexities in future tutorials, remember that these fundamental elements aren't just technical details — they're the building blocks that enable designers to create more accessible, effective, and purposeful typographic choices in their work.