# How do you write a "4"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-write-a-4/844319>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 3, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-write-a-4/844319 "2019-12-03T17:48:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-write-a-4/844319/41 "2019-12-05T14:41:28Z")

</div>

> [@gotpasswords](#):
>
> 8th grade drafting class… Teacher said “Feed your fours!”
> 
> Don’t recall any specific versions of the 3 or 2 with him. Just “close the mouth” on the 4.

How can you feed them if their mouth is closed?

Surely “feed your fours!” would mean they should be open.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-write-a-4/844319/42 "2019-12-06T05:27:58Z")

</div>

> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> For me:
> 
> 0, 1, and 2 are x-height  
> 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 have descenders  
> 6 and 8 have ascenders
> 
> 1 has a serif at the top  
> 2 is loopless  
> 4 is closed  
> 7 is crossed  
> 9 is all curved
> 
> 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 are one stroke  
> 4, 5, 7, 9 are two stroke

I didn’t know anyone still used [lowercase numbers](https://www.bamagazine.com/Text-type-typeface-s/105.htm) in handwriting–just for cool fonts.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-write-a-4/844319/43 "2019-12-06T06:55:16Z")

</div>

> [@Hermitian](#):
>
> What is a non-looping 2? So that it looks identical to a Z?

??? What ? No! a Z has a (horizontal) stroke through it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-write-a-4/844319/44 "2019-12-06T09:02:26Z")

</div>

The 4s that used to be shown [on Sesame Street](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arAdH6F74sk), with a low back and high crossbar, made me uncomfortable to even look at them. The balance was so wrong it made my brain itch. I may have to blame Jim Henson for this, he probably was the one drawing them this way.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-write-a-4/844319/45 "2019-12-06T14:15:58Z")

</div>

I was taught to make an “open topped” 4, which is what I generally do, unless I’m doing calligraphy or drafting, when I’ll do the traditional closed top.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![road\_lobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d78d45/32.png) [@road\_lobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/road_lobo)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-write-a-4/844319/46 "2019-12-08T02:10:05Z")

</div>

> [@kayaker](#):
>
> I have a man who writes my fours for me. You people write your own fours? That’s just precious.

You have a man? I have a eunuch.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-write-a-4/844319.md?page=2)