Cursive W

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Each way it is measured, the small w is about half of the capital W. Its three tops line up along the x-height, and the capital's knob climbs past the cap height, which gives the small w 0.49 of the capital's rise over the baseline. Both letters rest on that line with nothing under it. From side to side the small w is 0.53 of the capital.

Capital W, a lower middle top

The capital W is two cups side by side. A hook stands at its upper left, and a knob with a short bar at its upper right.

Each cup rounds on the baseline. The outer bend of the first cup, close to the baseline, is the part of the capital W that lies furthest left.

The first cup rises to a rounded blunt top in the middle of the letter. This middle top is above the x-height but well short of the cap height. From it a second line comes back down along the first, and the two split at a pointed notch just under the x-height.

The right side of the second cup climbs past the cap height into the knob, the highest part of the capital. The tip of the short bar is above the x-height, and the capital W goes no further right than that.

Small w, three level tops

The small w has three blunt tops in a row, all of them at the x-height, and two cups between them.

The left top and the middle top are the blunt ends of two slanted lines. No hook leads into the left one. The right side of the first cup joins the middle slanted line a little over halfway up. From there the two run together down to a pointed notch low in the letter.

The outer side of the second cup, a little under the x-height, is the small w's furthest-right part, and the low bend of the first cup is its furthest-left. The third top is the upper end of the second cup, and no line leaves it.

A hook and a knob for the capital W alone

Both letters have two cups with rounded bottoms on the baseline. The hook at the upper left and the knob with its bar at the upper right belong to the capital W only. The tops differ as well: the three of the small w are level, and on the capital the middle top is lower than the two sides.

Disown and disallow, the w after o

In the middle of a word the small w comes after the o of disown, and disallow ends in w after an o.

The U and the V, capital and small

The U and the V of this font are look-alikes of the W, as capitals and again as small letters.

• Capital UDescribed on the page for U
• Capital VDescribed on the page for V
• Small uDescribed on the page for U
• Small vDescribed on the page for V