Descender Definition

Descender – In the context of English typography, the “descent” of certain letters can make a subtle yet influential difference in the way we perceive and interact with written content.

Such letters as ‘g’, ‘j’, ‘p’, ‘q’, ‘y’ are called descender letters in the English language. When you look at these characters, you’ll find there is a part of them that appears to fall under an imaginary line on which most text appears to sit. This adds not only to the beauty of typefaces but also to the legibility of body text, rendering to its rhythm.

All these lines and curves help differentiate one letter from another and therefore enable better discrimination in tracking or what some call quicker and more accurate interpretation of text.

They are central to the overall look of a text, keeping an aesthetic balance between ascenders (letters that rise above the x-height of a font) and descenders. Some letters are going to remember in consumers’ minds during branding with some particular use of descenders and thereby create an iconic element.