Font vs. Fount: When Do You Use Each One?
With only one letter different, font and fount certainly look and sound alike, and even share similar origins. But these nouns have different meanings. Here, we take a look at how they are used both on their own and in a common expression about knowledge.
⚡ Quick summary
As a noun, font is a particular style and size of text. But the word also has other meanings, such as “a container that holds water for baptisms,” and, in archaic use, “a fountain.” Fount is a spring or fountain, but it can also refer more broadly to a source or origin. As an expression, the more standard version is fount of knowledge, though some style guides say that font of knowledge is also acceptable.
Font vs. Fount
As a noun, font has two common meanings: First, it can refer to a style of text, such as the size and design of the letters. Second, it’s the name of the container that holds water in church baptism ceremonies.
Here are some examples of the different senses of font:
- The document’s clean and modern font made it easy to read.
- The priest poured water from the font during the baptism ceremony.
Fount refers to a spring or fountain, though you won’t see this poetic word much in everyday use. (To add to the confusion, in archaic use, the word font also means “fountain.”) You’re more likely to come across fount used to describe “a source or origin,” such as a source of inspiration.
Here are some examples of the different senses of fount:
- She threw a penny into the fount for good luck.
- The new manager was a fount of inspiration for the team.
As for their origins, the typographic sense of font is derived through the French fonte from Latin fundere, meaning “to melt or cast.” This is a nod to the way fonts used to be made, with molten metal cast to make movable type for print. The religious sense of font, however, comes from the Latin fons, which is also the source of fount.
Is It Font or Fount of Knowledge?
When it comes to the common expression, is it fount of knowledge or font of knowledge?
Fount of knowledge is considered the standard version based on first usage dating back to the 1600s. Font of knowledge, however, has been gaining more traction in the U.S. over the past few decades with font being used to mean “source.” Many style guides now consider both words to be OK in this expression. But if you’re a stickler for tradition (or if you don’t want to get called out by sticklers for tradition), go with fount of knowledge.
Here are some examples using fount of knowledge:
- My brother is a fount of knowledge about cars.
- The professor is known to be a fount of knowledge in the field of medieval history.
Note that you might also hear similar expressions such as fount of wisdom or even font of wisdom. Font of knowledge/wisdom may still pass in American English, but it’s often considered nonstandard.
To remember the standard version, think of a fountain flowing with knowledge. Now go forth and let your wisdom flow from the fount!
