Ascendes

Ascendes is a term occasionally used in typography to refer to the ascenders of lowercase letters—the strokes that extend above the x-height. In modern practice, the standard term is ascender, and ascendes is generally regarded as archaic or a variant spelling.

Ascenders are the vertical strokes found in letters such as b, d, f, h, k, l, and t. The top of an ascender rises above the x-height, with the overall height being influenced by the font’s design. The distance from the baseline to the top of the ascender is called the ascender height, and it interacts with other metrics such as the x-height and cap height. In many typefaces the ascender height varies, with some fonts featuring tall ascenders that reach close to the cap height, and others with shorter ascenders that stay well below it.

Design and readability are affected by the ascenders. Longer or more prominent ascenders can create an open, airy texture but may increase line spacing requirements; shorter ascenders help compact lines but can reduce legibility at small sizes.

Historically, the term ascendes appears in older typographic texts and dictionaries, but contemporary usage favors ascenders. The distinction is primarily terminological; the underlying concept is a standard aspect of type design.

Related terms include baseline, x-height, cap height, and descender.