When we're not sure about a letter

Sometimes we cannot tell with confidence what a mark was, and we say so rather than guess.

It is a question, not a fault. Confirm it, or write it again.

Why we ask instead of guessing

A wrong letter that slips through quietly is the worst outcome. It sits in your font looking fine until you type a word and get the wrong shape, long after you would think to check.

We would rather ask once now than have you find it later. When we are confident, we say nothing and move on.

What makes a read uncertain

- Marks that lift off — an i or j dot, the cross of a t, an accent. Written apart from the body, they can read as separate strokes. - Letters that share a shape — an l and a 1, an O and a 0, a u and a v written quickly. - A stroke that strays — a tail that runs into the next space, or a rest of the hand that left a mark. - Very fast writing, where letters run together.

What to do

If the read is right, confirm it and carry on. If it is wrong, write the letter again — slightly more separated, without slowing down enough to change your hand. See Writing your letters.

If you were not asked but it still came out wrong

Confidence is not certainty, so an occasional wrong read passes without a question. The Letters room shows every letter as it will appear in the font, which is the place to spot one. See One letter came out wrong.