ENGLISH
REFERENCE

kerning

n.
C2 Proficiency kern·ing Computing
Definition

n. the process of adjusting the space between two specific letters in a piece of text. You do this to make the words look balanced and easier to read.

n. the adjustment of the horizontal space between individual letter pairs in a typeface. Typically used to correct visually uneven gaps between specific character combinations like 'VA' or 'Te'.


SIMPLE

The bad kerning makes the letters look too close together.

CONTEXTUAL

After choosing the font for the logo, the designer spent an hour fine-tuning the kerning to ensure the brand name looked professional.

COMPLEX

While tracking adjusts the spacing across an entire block of text, kerning focuses on the relationship between specific pairs to achieve a harmonious typographic rhythm.

Usage

Often used as a gerund noun in design and typography contexts.

Pitfall

The kerning between all the words is too wide.The tracking between all the words is too wide.Learners often confuse 'kerning' (space between individual letters) with 'tracking' (uniform spacing across a range of characters) or 'word spacing'.

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