GRAPHOLOGY
LAB

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HANDWRITING & GRAPHOLOGY

Handwritten numbers: analysis of 0–9

Compare handwritten numeral shapes, proportions, openings and finishing strokes. Read numbers in their date, amount or list before comparing their forms.

Number forms 0–9

0 · Oval width and closure; distinguish a zero from the letter o in context.
1 · Opening hook, upright stem and optional foot.
2 · Top curve, diagonal return and lower finish.
3 · Upper and lower bowls, their width and their central junction.
4 · Open or closed top, crossbar position and stem extension.
5 · Top bar, upper opening and lower bowl.
6 · Upper approach and the enclosed lower oval.
7 · Top bar, diagonal direction and optional crossing.
8 · Two loops, their relative size and the waist between them.
9 · Upper oval, return stroke and descending finish.

Keep the writing task in view

A date, telephone number and calculation can use different spacing and alignment. Compare repeated digits in the same task. A crossed 7 or open 4 may be a habitual convention; record that form without assigning a separate character trait to it.

Identify the numeral from the surrounding notation before comparing its shape. Zero and o, one and l, or a hurried two and z can share similar boundaries in a cropped image.

Compare bodies, spacing and alignment

  • Height: are digits the same height as capitals or lowercase bodies?
  • Shape: which ovals close, and which bowls remain open?
  • Spacing: are amounts tightly grouped while dates leave wider gaps?
  • Baseline: do the numeral bottoms share the line with the words?

A repeatable numeral comparison

Use two dates and two short amounts from the same page. Compare each repeated digit, its neighbors and its baseline. Keep your observations with the sample so another reader can follow the same marks.