Do serifs provide an advantage in the recognition of written words?

Abstract

A neglected issue in the literature on visual-word recognition is the careful examination of parameters such as font, size, or interletter/interword spacing on reading times. Here we analysed whether serifs (i.e., the small features at the end of strokes) play a role in lexical access. Traditionally, serif fonts have been considered easier to read than sans serif fonts, but prior empirical evidence is scarce and inconclusive. Here we conducted a lexical decision experiment (i.e., a word/nonword discrimination task) in which we compared words from the same family (Lucida) either with a serif font or with a sans serif font—in both a block list and a mixed list. Results showed a small, but significant advantage in response times for words written in a sans serif font. Thus, sans serif fonts should be the preferred choice for text in computer screens—as already is the case for guide signs on roads, trains, etc.

Keywords:

• Lexical decision
• Word recognition

Acknowledgements

This research has been partially supported by Grants PSI2008-04069/PSIC and CONSOLIDER-INGENIO2010 CSD2008-00048 from the Spanish Government.

Notes

¹It has been shown that ClearType improves the legibility and the reading times of words when presented on a computer LCD screen (Slattery & Rayner, 2010). For that reason, we chose ClearType in the present experiment. (ClearType was designed by Microsoft to improve the appearance of text on computer display screens.)