# Italic I looks too much like Right slash. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 29, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713 "2004-02-29T03:41:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/1 "2004-02-29T03:41:02Z")
Italic I - _I_ Right Slash - / ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/2 "2004-02-29T04:43:23Z")
The I is at a different angle, and has serifs. Has there been a confusion, **Lobsang**? ---
**Author:** ![Freiheit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e8c25b/32.png) [@Freiheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freiheit)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/3 "2004-02-29T04:46:30Z")
> [@Ice Wolf](#): > > The I is at a different angle, and has serifs. Has there been a confusion, **Lobsang**? Um, no serifs here. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/4 "2004-02-29T04:50:13Z")
I assume a serif is the horizontal line at the top and bottom. If so, none here too. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/5 "2004-02-29T04:51:15Z")
Ahh. **Ice Wolf** you’re viewing the SD in ‘standard’ mode aren’t you. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/6 "2004-02-29T05:42:30Z")
Yup. That’s why I get serifs (the top and bottom thingos). Still, where has there been confusion? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/7 "2004-02-29T05:46:42Z")
> [@Ice Wolf](#): > > Yup. That’s why I get serifs (the top and bottom thingos). Still, where has there been confusion? I was reading a thread in which someone italicized their ‘I’ (the identity I), but not the rest of the sentence. It registered in my brain as a slash and therefore looked out of place. I can’t remember what the thread was now. Anyway, it was a very minor thing, almost not worth mentioning, but you know me 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/8 "2004-02-29T05:53:18Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I was reading a thread in which someone italicized their ‘I’ (the identity I), but not the rest of the sentence. It registered in my brain as a slash and therefore looked out of place. > > I can’t remember what the thread was now. > Anyway, it was a very minor thing, almost not worth mentioning, but you know me 😃 BTW. In the style chooser, at the bottom of every page, choose ‘Straight Dope’. Then you will find that the italic I and the slash are virtually identical. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/9 "2004-02-29T06:44:15Z")
I’m happy with what I’m using at the moment, **Lobsang** – don’t worry, I believe you. 🙂 Well, the answer is for the style _you_ use to use the font that I see. Or you change the style you use. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italic-i-looks-too-much-like-right-slash/231713/10 "2004-02-29T20:17:13Z")
On the other hand, this font _does_ distinguish between capital i I and lower case L l. Which is a lot commoner source of confusion than the one mentioned. Heck, it even caught Cecil Himself, who once mentioned the message board member “Iswote” in one of his columns, whereas that member is actually called “lswote”.