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Hard Difficulty

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.

W

Heavy Block

W

Bold Italic

W

Industrial

W

Poster

W

Condensed Bold

W

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.

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.

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. Use them in our cursive generator when you want a script comparison.

WARRIORWILDWONDERWRECKWRATHWAVE

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

Should W's centre apex reach the cap height?
Both styles are valid. Reaching the cap height makes W feel open and geometric; stopping short makes it feel more compact and modern.
Why is W the widest capital?
Because it's structurally two V's — and a single V is already roughly square. Two V's side by side need to be nearly twice as wide to maintain the diagonal angles.

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