Cursive Q

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Both of these letters go below the baseline, the capital Q only a little and the small q all the way down to the descender line. Higher up it is the other way around. The capital Q covers the whole stretch from the baseline to the cap height. The small q covers 0.51 of that stretch and stops at the x-height. Top to bottom, the two come out close: the small q is 0.91 as tall as the capital. It is also the slimmer letter, 0.66 of the capital's width.

Capital Q, a big open curve

The capital Q is a single line. Most of it is a big oval-shaped curve that is left open, and the rest is a small closed loop tucked into the lower left. That small loop is the only enclosed space of the capital.

The free end of the big curve is a blunt tip at the left. The tip is nearer the baseline than the x-height, and there is white space between it and the small loop. At its top the big curve reaches the cap height, and above the x-height it is at its widest to the right.

Low on the right the curve swings back toward the left and wraps into the small loop. The underside of the loop lies on the baseline. Just above the baseline the line passes over itself, and that crossing closes the loop. Past the crossing the line dips a short way under the baseline, about a quarter of the way to the descender line, and curls up to a blunt tip at the right.

Small q, a slim loop underneath

The upper half of the small q is a closed round part with a slanted line down its right side. The two meet at the x-height. Inside the round part the white space comes to a point at the upper right, just under the x-height, where the top of the round part meets the slanted line. The spot on the small q that is furthest left is low on the round part, and not on the loop below the baseline.

The slanted line goes straight on to the descender line. There it folds into a slim closed loop on its right side, which is the second enclosed space of the small q. The right side of the loop comes back up and rejoins the slanted line at the baseline, and it does not pass over the line.

A short line leaves to the right from that same spot. It dips onto the baseline and rises to a blunt tip, and this tip marks the right edge of the small q.

An open curve, a closed round part

Apart from going below the baseline, the capital Q and the small q are two quite different shapes. The capital is a big open curve with a small loop at the bottom. The small letter has a round part on a long line, with a loop underneath. And the big curve of the capital is open, while the round part of the small q is closed.

Every q here has a u after it

The letter that follows the small q is a u in all seven words. No word of the list ends in q, so that position is empty here.

Beside the capital O, the small g and a

The capital O of this font is drawn close to the capital Q. The small g and the small a come close to the small q.

• Capital ODescribed on the page for O
• Small gDescribed on the page for G
• Small aDescribed on the page for A