Standard Lemma guide

kerning

noun · verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American: /ˈkɝnɪŋ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɜːnɪŋ/
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)nɪŋ

1

noun

Meaning 1

The adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs in a typeface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: media, publishing, typography

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

present participle and gerund of kern

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From kern (“part of a letter which extends into the space used by another letter”) + -ing, from French carne (“corner”).

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: interlletratge — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 字偶距調節 /字偶距调节 (zì'ǒujù tiáojié) — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Dutch: overhang — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Finnish: parivälistys — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Finnish: kirjainparivälistys — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Finnish: välistys — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • French: crénage — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • German: Unterschneidung — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Hungarian: egalizálás — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Hungarian: alávágás — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Hungarian: betűköz-igazítás — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Indonesian: kerning — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Irish: coirneáil — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Italian: crenatura — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Māori: whakatata pū — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Portuguese: entreletra compensada — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Portuguese: compensação — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Portuguese: espaçamento entreletras compensado — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Portuguese: espacejamento entreletras compensado — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Portuguese: kerning — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Spanish: cranaje — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Spanish: interletraje — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs
  • Spanish: cran — adjustment of the horizontal space between selected pairs of glyphs