Which term best describes a single typographic symbol or character?

• A. Glyph
• B. Typeface
• C. Character
• D. Symbol

Answer: (A)

A glyph is the actual visual shape that represents a character in a specific font. It’s the concrete form you see on screen or in print—the letter shapes, punctuation, or symbols as designed by the typeface. A character is the abstract unit of text (the idea of a letter or symbol) that can be drawn in many different glyph shapes across fonts. A typeface is the overall design family that groups those shapes together, while a symbol is a broader term for any emblem or sign. So, for describing a single typographic symbol or character’s visual form, the precise term is glyph.