Skip to content

Type Anatomy Term (letter u)

Featured Replies

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

Is there a special term for that part of the letter /u/ on the right(circled) compared to the one on left.

I'm also looking for the earliest examples of fonts with this kind of design at that part of the letter /u/. How old could the practice of designing the letter /u/ or /n/ with this specific style be or it has been there since the beginning of sans-serifs?

I am not certain there is such a term, but I would like to suggest “nick”…

The original question is unclear. Does it refer to the white space (yes, nick is a good word for this) or to the stem section (what I would call, in both letters, a spur)? Hence I would describe the one on the right as a nicked spur.

A spur is a tiny serif that implies an entry into the stroke with some sort of engraving tool.

I think you should call it a "sevag".

Create an account or sign in to comment

Important Information

We are placing functional cookies on your device to help make this website better.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.