How to Draw Block Letter W
Block letter W is essentially two V's sharing a centre point — four diagonal strokes total. It's the widest capital in the alphabet (often wider than M) and creates the most extreme kerning voids on both sides. The middle V (or apex) can rise to the cap height (a more open, geometric look) or stop short (a more compact, modern look). Either way, W and M should feel like a structural pair.
Letter W in Block-Letter Styles
Block lettering covers a range of sans-serif styles — from heavy poster blocks to condensed industrial faces. Here's how the letter “W” looks across the most common block variants.
Heavy Block
Bold Italic
Industrial
Poster
Condensed Bold
Stencil Lite
How to Draw Uppercase Block “W”
Block W is four diagonal strokes forming two V's that share the centre. Draw left-down-up-down-up-down to the right, or as two separate V's joined at the apex.
- ✗ Outer diagonals at different angles than the inner diagonals
- ✗ Centre apex at the wrong height
- ✗ Letter too narrow — W needs to be the widest capital
How to Draw Lowercase Block “w”
Lowercase 'w' mirrors the capital, sized to x-height. Four diagonal strokes joining at three lower apexes and three upper corners.
- ✗ Uneven V widths
- ✗ Centre apex at wrong height
- ✗ Drawing it as a wavy line instead of distinct diagonals
Letters Often Confused with Block “W”
Spacing & Kerning Companions for “W”
W's wide-open top on both sides creates the alphabet's most extreme kerning challenge. LW, AW, TW, and FW all need significant negative kerning.
Words Starting with “W” in Block Lettering
These uppercase words look particularly strong in block lettering. Click any word to preview it in our cursive generator for a script comparison.
Practice Tips for Block Letter “W”
- 1Match W's outer diagonals to M's outer diagonals — they're a structural pair.
- 2Decide whether the centre apex reaches the cap height (open style) or stops short (compact style).
- 3Make W slightly wider than M — typically 110–120% of M's width.
- 4When kerning AW or WA, slip the A's apex into W's outer V slope.
- 5Test W at small sizes — at body-text size it can be hard to distinguish from VV.
Frequently Asked Questions about Block Letter W
Frequently Asked Questions
Should W's centre apex reach the cap height?
Why is W the widest capital?
Learn More
Cursive W
See how the letter W looks in cursive — stroke guides and 18 font examples.
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