Segoe UI

Segoe UI (pronounced "SEE-go") is the new system font for Microsoft Windows Vista. This font was designed specifically for user interfaces and works great with ClearType font technology.

Why Segoe UI Matters

With Segoe UI, Windows has made it easier for users to see text consistently across different languages. The letterforms in Segoe UI are closely aligned with the Aero design principles, which really helps with how everything looks on your screen.

Key Features of Segoe UI

• Improves text style consistency across all languages.


• Optimized for ClearType, which is enabled by default in Windows Vista. It’s less readable without this feature turned on.


• The standard font size is now 9 pt., making it better for layout and readability in all languages.


• A new set of themed font styles can be found through the Aero theme file.


• Currently supports Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic characters. Microsoft is always working on adding more character sets to support this font.

Additional Fonts for Different Languages

There are also some new fonts optimized for ClearType created for other character sets. These include:

• Meiryo for Japanese


• Malgun Gothic for Korean


• Microsoft JhengHei for Chinese (Traditional)


• Microsoft YaHei for Chinese (Simplified)


• Majalla UI for Arabic


• Gisha for Hebrew


• Leelawadee for Thai

The Importance of Design Changes

The updates to Segoe UI make reading and scanning text much easier. The larger font size and improved usage create a smoother experience across Windows and applications in every language!

Straightforward Differences: Segoe vs. Segoe UI

A quick note: Segoe UI and Segoe are not the same thing! While Segoe is meant more for print, Segoe UI is specifically designed as the Windows font used in user interfaces.

The design of Segoe UI makes it friendly and approachable, which means it's easier to read than Tahoma, Microsoft Sans Serif, or Arial. It has cool features like varying widths of its letters that help give it a unique look without being distracting.

If you’re using ClearType, you'll find that Segoe UI looks elegant and easy to read. But if you don’t have ClearType on, it’s just okay—not the best option out there!