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Stem

By , About.com Guide

type anatomy stemImage © J. James
Definition: The stem is the main, usually vertical stroke of a letterform.
Also Known As: stroke
Examples:
Not all letters have a stem, such as C or S. The vertical, non-curved portions of L, l, d, B, and p are examples of stems. H, N, and M have two stems each. Some letterforms such as y and A may have a sloped or diagonal stem.
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