Ligature (typography) facts for kids

A ligature is a special way of writing letters. It's when two or more letters are joined together to form one new symbol. Think of it like letters holding hands! This idea started a long time ago with people writing by hand and in old books called manuscripts.

The letters f and l joined together.

A ligature for "Allah" in Arabic writing.

A great example is the ampersand symbol, "&". This symbol means "and". It was created by joining the old Latin letters e and t from the word et, which also means "and". So, the "&" symbol is actually a single picture made from two letters!

What is a Ligature?

In writing and printing, a ligature combines two or more letters into one. This usually happens when letters are placed right next to each other. The combined symbol looks like the original letters but slightly changed, often joined. It's a separate design created by the person who made the font.

Why Do We Use Ligatures?

Sometimes, ligatures are used to make words easier to read. Other times, they are simply used to make the writing or font look nicer. This is important in design work, like when creating logos or fancy invitations. For example, when an "f" and an "i" are next to each other, the dot on the "i" can crash into the top of the "f". A ligature fixes this by joining them smoothly.

Ligatures in Digital Fonts

Today, most fonts are made on computers. These are called 'digital typefaces'. Font designers create ligatures for certain letter combinations. When you type these letters together, the computer program can automatically show the ligature instead of the separate letters. This makes the text look more professional and polished.

Images for kids

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  The letters s and t combined to create the typographic ligature st

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  A widely used Th ligature in a handwriting-style typeface

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  Ligatures "Th" and "Wh" illustration

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  "ß" in the form of a "ſʒ" ligature on a street sign in Berlin (Petersburger Straße). The sign on the right (Bersarinplatz) ends with a "tʒ" ligature ("ꜩ").

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  The symbol for Saturn in old manuscripts, made from two Greek letters.

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  Hebrew text: the letter in the upper left is ﭏ‎, a ligature of aleph (א‎) and lamed (ל‎).

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  An example of Xu Bing's 'Square Word' calligraphy, combining Latin characters into forms that resemble Chinese characters. The word is 'wiki'.

See also

In Spanish: Ligadura (tipografía) para niños