HANDWRITING & GRAPHOLOGY
Graphology glossary: handwriting analysis terms
Find the terms used to describe handwriting and signature forms, from ascenders and baseline to loops, slant and word gaps.
Terms A–Z
- Ascender
- A stroke rising above the lowercase body band, as in h or l. Explore upper, middle and lower zones.
- Baseline
- The guide along the lower edge of ordinary letter bodies. Explore baseline.
- Body band / x-height
- The height occupied by ordinary lowercase bodies such as a, e and o. Explore size.
- Capital emphasis
- An opening capital that stands taller than the following bodies. Explore all caps and mixed case.
- Connection
- A visible ink bridge between neighboring letter forms. Explore connections.
- Descender
- A stroke extending beneath the body baseline, as in g or y. Explore upper, middle and lower zones.
- Flourish
- An extended or returning stroke adding to the main letter composition. Explore signature meanings chart.
- Garland
- A lower, cup-shaped joining curve. Explore angular and rounded letter shapes.
- Graphology
- Traditional interpretation of handwriting features in relation to character themes. Explore graphology meaning.
- Ink density
- The share of the measured signature bounds occupied by ink. Explore signature analysis.
- Legibility
- How readily a reader can identify the letters and words. Explore legibility.
- Loop
- An enclosed space formed by a returning stroke. Explore upper and lower loops.
- Margin
- The gap between the writing and a paper edge. Explore margins and page layout.
- Oval
- A rounded body found in letters such as o, a and d. Explore letter o.
- Pen lift
- A break in writing movement; a photo shows separated ink rather than the movement itself. Explore connections.
- Pressure
- The force applied to the original paper. Explore pressure.
- Slant
- The angle of stems relative to the writing baseline. Explore slant.
- Stroke weight
- Visible line thickness and darkness of the ink. Explore pressure.
- Underline
- A long stroke beneath a name or word. Explore signature meanings chart.
- Word gap
- The clear space between neighboring words. Explore spacing.
Measurement vocabulary
| Unit | Used for | Example comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Degrees | Stem slant and baseline direction | Forward stems versus rising line |
| Pixels | Size within the pictured image | Lowercase body height |
| Millimetres | Physical size with a known scale | Body height on the paper |
| Ratio | Relative proportions within a sample | Opening height divided by body height |
Turn a term into an observation
Replace “large writing” with the body height and the scale used. Replace “loopy” with the position, width and closure of a specific loop. Naming the visible feature makes two readers’ notes easier to compare.