The 9 Best Web Fonts for Readability: Your Guide to a User-Friendly Experience

Have you ever landed on a website, only to be instantly overwhelmed by a wall of tiny, indecipherable text? Your eyes strain, your head throbs, and you click away in frustration. We have all been there. In the fast-paced digital world, where attention spans are fleeting, first impressions matter more then ever. The fonts you choose for your website can make or break the user experience.

So how do you choose fonts that are appropriate for your website and will result in the best user experience? Read on to find out how website fonts can establish your website as a leader in the industry and have the best user experience.

The choice of typography as stated in the introductory paragraph, can make or break your website. It sets the tone, influences perception, and guide’s the reader’s journey. A well-chosen font whispers elegance and professionalism, while a poor choice screams amateurism and neglect. It is not just about aesthetics; it is about functionality. Readable fonts foster engagement, boost comprehension, and encourage visitors to linger longer. On the other hand, illegible fonts lead to frustration, high bounce rates, and missed opportunities.

Choosing the right font for your website is more involved than personal preference. It is a delicate balance of art and science and may not be the one you originally thought of. With any of the web fonts, be sure that you have the proper licensing to use the font (Griffin 2014). Below are some of the key factors in choosing your website font.

• Serif vs. Sans-Serif: Serif fonts, with their decorative flourishes, exude tradition, and sophistication. Sans-serif fonts, that are clean and minimalist, offer a modern, streamlined feel. Ask yourself, which one resonates with your brand and audience? Also keep in mind accessibility concerns in regards to the font choice. Some fonts are better readability and sans-serif fonts tend to come out better.
• Font Size and Line Height: Do not make your visitors squint! Ensure your font size is large enough for comfortable reading, and adjust the line height to prevent overcrowding.
• Letter Spacing and Kerning: These subtle adjustments can significantly impact readability. Optimize the letter spacing for optimal clarity and visual appeal.
• Web-Safe Fonts: Try to guarantee a consistent experience across all browsers by choosing fonts that are widely supported and show well on all sites. Read more about this below in the next section.

Web-safe fonts are those that are effectively rendered on most browsers and do not look like a mess. Imagine having a Hawaiian website (such as this blog post on Charles Dickey), with a Hawaiian font, that does not show well on browsers. It will ruin the experience. However, choosing a web-safe font will keep this from happening. Most web-safe fonts are pre-installed on most devices, keeping your website’s typography intact in all cases. Also a number of web-safe fonts are already in the catalog of your CMS and are environmentally friendly.

By understanding the core principles of fonts and web-safe fonts, you will be guaranteed of having a website that provides a seamless and enjoyable reading experience. Your website is a reflection of your brand and should speak clearly and eloquently through the power of readable fonts.

By now, hopefully, you have read the above and realize that you need to choose your font carefully. So how do you go about choosing the perfect font? When making your web font selection, consider the tone you want to convey, the type of content, and the demographics of your audience. Do not be afraid to experiment to find the best font for your website. Below are tips on some of the best web fonts in serif and sans-serif categories that you can choose.

Serif fonts help to evoke sophistication and readability. They are called serif fonts because they have ‘serifs” or tiny anchors at the tips of each letter that gently guide the user’s eye across the page. These serifs give a sense of flow and continuity, leading the visitor to read more. Be aware that some of the more elaborate serif fonts can be hard for those with special needs. With this in mind, below are some of the best serif web fonts you can choose.

• Georgia: This font was created in 1993 and is used a lot for web fonts. It has a generous x-height and it’s sturdy serifs make it very legible, even at smaller sizes. Whether you are crafting a blog post, online magazine, or a corporate website, the Georgia font lends an air of timeless elegance without sacrificing readability.
• Times New Roman: Designed for printing, Times New Roman is also used for the web and is a staple in web fonts. Because of its ubiquity and familiarity, it is a safe bet for any website that is seeking a traditional, professional look.
• Merriweather: Designed specifically for screen reading, Merriweather is among the web fonts that is a choice for accessible devices. This web font has a contemporary flair, but maintains the classic charm of serif fonts. Having a slightly condensed letterform and open counters helps in the comfort of reading, especially on smaller devices. Merriweather is the font to choose if you are looking for a serif font that is fresh and modern without sacrificing readability.
• PT Serif: An open-source font, PT Serif is amoung the web fonts that is adaptable to various use cases. It has subtle serifs and well-balanced proportions that create a harmonious reading experience. PT serif has a wide variety of weights and styles making it very flexible in most formats.

Sans-serif fonts are known for their modern and minimalist aesthetic. Lacking the serif flourishes, these web fonts have clean lines and create a sense of openness and clarity, making them suitable for digital environments. Sans-serif fonts are also known for being the best in accessibility and can be read easier by older audiences (Nelson and Cook 2024). Below are some of the most popular sans-serif web fonts that prioritize legibility.

• Arial: Often used for bold accents because of its bolding, this is one of the most popular web fonts. It has a clean and neutral design and is widely available. The simplicity of the font and its widespread acceptance gives a comfortable reading experience for most users. This font was developed from unicode, is one of the older fonts, and a lot of writers are going to more modern web fonts (Bloomer 2014).
• Verdana: Verdana, one of the most popular web fonts of any type, is a sans-serif designed for screen readability. Verdana has a large x-height and generous spacing, making it legible in smaller sizes. Think of having to go from desktop to a mobile screen and you get the idea. The distinctive open letterforms generally prevent confusion between similar characters and enhances its readability. A study of web fonts found that this font is best for long text (Ahmed Zamzuri Mohamed, et al 2013).
• Helvetica: This font is found in a variety of uses from logos, advertisements, and is widely used among web fonts. Helvetica is considered the standard in clarity and neutrality and its balanced proportions and clean lines convey a sense of professionalism and sophistication. This web font has a proven track record in readability.
• Open Sans: An open-source web font, like PT Serif, this font has a wide variety of weights and styles, giving it versatility. Generally, this font, is considered to have a humanist touch and the optimized letterforms, create a friendly and approachable feel without giving up legibility.
• Roboto: Roboto is among the web fonts having geometric forms and slightly condensed letterforms. These features allow it to strike a balance between modernity and readability. Additionally, it has clean lines and open counters to give clarity and curves to give warmth and personality. Roboto is a common font in the Android ecosystem.

Pairing web fonts together adds to the experience of your website. The right fonts together can create visual interest, establish hierarchy, and guide the user’s eye across the page. Being successful at font pairings is a blend of creativity, functionality, and attention to detail. Below are some of the ways to create harmonious and readable font pairings.

• Embrace Contrast: Contrast is one of the first factors to consider in font pairings. It is essential to combine web fonts that have distinct visual differences, either in weight (light vs. bold), style (serif vs. sans-serif), or size. The contrasting fonts help to create a visual hierarchy and makes it easier for readers to distinguish between headings, subheadings, and body text.
  • An example pairing could be having a bold sans-serif font like Open Sans Bold for headings with a lighter serif font like Georgia for body text. These two fonts together provide a clear visual distinction without sacrificing readability.
• Establish Hierarchy: Different font sizes and weights can be used to establish a clear hierarchy within the content. Headings should be larger and bolder than subheadings, subheadings should be more prominent that body text, and so on. A sense of hierarchy allows users to quickly scan the page.
  • An example of establishing hierarchy is using a large bold sans-serif font, such as Arial, for the heading, a lighter sans-serif font for subheadings, and a comfortable serif font for body text. This combination of sizes and types allows for natural flow.
• Prioritize Consistency: Consistency in web fonts is paramount for a cohesive and professional website design. Web fonts should be limited to two or three at the most. Having more web fonts can lead to visual clutter and confusion.
  • For example, a primary font should be used for body text, a secondary font for headings, and third accent font could be used for special elements like call-to-action buttons. The selected web fonts should be used throughout the website for consistency.
• Consider Content: Your selected web fonts should center around the overall context of your website. A playful whimsical font could be suitable for a children’s website, while a more formal, traditional font would look better on a corporate website.
  • For example, a website for a creative agency may have an expressive sans-serif font with a playful script font for a unique and artistic feel. For the website of a law-firm, however, classic serif font paired with a clean sans-serif font would convey professionalism and trustworthiness.
• Test and Refine Your Font Selections: Be sure to test your selected fonts on different platforms. Try to get feedback from users and make adjustments as needed.

As alluded to in other parts of this post, website accessibility is a concern when choosing fonts (Taylor 2020). In general, elaborate or decorative web fonts can be difficult for some users to read. You want to make sure that your content is accessible to all users, including those with visual impairments or disabilities, in order to reach all audiences. It is just ethical, helps your reputation, gets more customers, and is the right thing to do. Some of the things to consider when choosing and implementing fonts on your website include:

• Font Size:
  • Adequate Size for Body Text: Make sure that your body text is at least 16px or 1rem in size. This size allows for most users to read comfortably without straining their eyes.
  • Has Responsive Design: Use responsive design in order to allow users to adjust screen sizes. Responsiveness, if not done by your CMS, can be accomplished through CSS media queries or by providing a zoom function.
  • Heading Hierarchy: Use a clear heading hierarchy with progressively larger font sizes for headings and subheadings. This also helps screen readers easily navigate your content.
  • Have a Smaller Font Size for Related Lists: A study completed in 2023 found that recall was better when a related list was a smaller font size (Chang and Brainerd 2023).
• Color Contrast:
  • Ensure Sufficient Contrast for Text: The contrast of your text should be at least 4.5:1 for normal text, and 3:1 for large text.
  • Account for those with Color Blindness: Try to avoid color combinations that may be difficult to distinguish for those with color blindness. Use color contrast checkers and simulators to test color choices.
• Line Height and Letter Spacing:
  • Optimal Line Height: Use a line height of at least 1.5 for body text. This provides enough space between lines, making it easier for users with dyslexia or visual impairments to read.
  • Use Appropriate Letter Spacing: Adjust letter spacing to improve readability. Do not have it too tight or loose.
• Font Choice:
  • Use Sans-Serif for Body Text: Sans-serif fonts are generally considered more readable on screens and are especially useful for users with dyslexia.
  • Avoid all Caps: Using all caps can make text harder to read and can be misinterpreted by screen readers.
• Assisitive Technologies:
  • Screen Reader Compatibility: Make sure your website is compatible with screen readers by using proper semantic HTML markup and providing alternative text for images.
  • Keyboard Navigation: Make sure that users can navigate your screen using only a keyboard. Before publishing try to identify any keyboard traps (where a user gets stuck) or places that cannot be reached by tabbing.

Below are some of the major takeways and a recap of how to make informed decisions to elevate your website’s readability and user experience.

• Prioritize readability above all else. Make sure your content is easily accessible and enjoyable to read for all visitors, regardless of ability.
• Choose web fonts that align with your brand identity and the tone of your content.
• Strive for a balance between aesthetics and functionality. A beautiful font is nice, but if people cannot read it, well …
• Consider the specific needs of your audience by making your content accessible to all.
• Do not be afraid to experiment and test different font combinations in order to find what works best for your brand.

• Try to look at additional resources on font pairing and selection. Look at font libraries, online resources, and design communities.
• Stay informed about the latest trends and best practices in web typography to be able to choose the best web fonts. By staying ahead of the curve you can ensure that your content remains fresh and engaging.

• Ali, Ahmad Zamzuri Mohamad, Rahani Wahid, Khairulanuar Samsudin, and Muhammaed Zaffwan Idris. 2013. Reading on the Computer Screen: Does Font Type Have Effects on Web Text Readability? International Education Studies 2013 6(3): 26-35.
• Bloomer, Peggy. 2014. How New Technologies are Changing Typography: Breaking Tyranny of Arial. International Journal of the Book 11 (4): 7-21.
• Chang, Minyu and C.J. Brainerd. 2023. The font size effect depends on inter-item relation. Memory & Cognition 51 (7): 1702-1713.
• Griffin, Patrick. 2014. Caveat Emptor. Applied Arts Magazine 29 (3): 14.
• Nelson, Michelle R. and Kirby Cook. 2024. Accessibility and Age: Can Legibility Improve Opportunity to Process Advertising? Journal of Advertising 53 (3): 307-325.
• Taylor, Kelley R. 2020. Road to Accessibility. School Library Journal 66 (4): 46-48.