Sans serif · Hagilda
Alef
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Alef', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Alef is a free sans serif by Hagilda and Mushon Zer-Aviv, on Google Fonts since 2013. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, Alef has an average x-height, is of average width and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 66%. Its thickest strokes are 1.2 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Actor
Alef on one light table with its two closest fonts, Actor (82 out of 100) and Magra (76). Actor is 6% narrower, with an x-height 3% shorter; Magra is 9% narrower and 14% heavier.
Alef and Actor laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with AlefActor…
Most different letters first; the figure is the share of ink the fonts have in common. Where the fonts agree the letters cancel to black: every white sliver is a real difference.
02 / Letters
The Alef alphabet
Capitals, lowercase, figures and signs · weight 400
Tap the letters you like, here and in other fonts, to find the fonts whose letters look most like them.
- &
- ?
- !
- @
- %
- (
- )
03 / Weights
Alef in 2 weights
2 weights, 400–700
- 400 Regular
- 700 Bold
04 / Facts
Who made Alef, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Hagilda, Mushon Zer-Aviv
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 2 weights, 400–700
- On Google Fonts since
- 2013
- Character sets
- hebrew, latin
- Licence
- SIL Open Font License 1.1
Can I use it?
- Commercial use
- Yes.
- Logos
- Yes.
- Websites and apps
- Yes. Self-hosted or loaded from Google Fonts.
- PDFs and documents
- Yes.
- Changes
- Yes, under another name. Not as “Alef”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Alef is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. This is a plain summary, not legal advice: the licence itself decides.
Already in your apps?
- Google Docs
- Most likely. Under More fonts, in Sheets and Slides too. Google’s guide
- Word, PowerPoint
- No. Install it from Google Fonts first. Microsoft’s list
- Figma
- Yes. Built in, nothing to install. Figma’s help
- Canva
- Not verified. Search its font menu for Alef, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Alef under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Alef, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 51.9% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 70.2% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.74lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 50.9% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 40%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.23 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among sans serifs
Ranked against all 697 sans serifs on FontKind
x-heightNear the middle of sans serifs
WidthNear the middle of sans serifs
InkLighter than 66% of sans serifs
ContrastMore contrast than 61% of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Alef
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Actor826% narrower · x-height 3% shorter
- Magra769% narrower · 14% heavier
- Nobile75x-height 10% taller · 7% wider
- Asap Sharp74Nearly identical proportions
- Rosario738% narrower · x-height 4% shorter · 8% heavier
- Mako725% narrower · x-height 4% shorter · 6% heavier
All 100 fonts similar to Alef →Compare side by side →Get Alef on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Alef without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Asap Sharp74text 3.0% narrower · x-height 0.8% taller
- Bespoke Sans72text 1.8% wider · same x-height
- Telex64text 1.8% wider · x-height 1.0% shorter
- Fira Sans62text 0.5% wider · x-height 1.5% taller
- Ubuntu57same text width · same x-height
- Commissioner56text 1.8% narrower · x-height 3.8% shorter
Fallback while it loads
Until Alef loads, this sets Arial in its place at 103.4% of its size, so running text keeps Alef’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Alef Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 103.43%;
ascent-override: 97.59%;
descent-override: 34.08%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Alef', 'Alef Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Alef
Of the 2,698 home pages that load Alef, the share that load each font too, and how that compares with chance.
Same page, not which sets the headings · HTTP Archive , 1 September 2026
- Roboto15%399 sites · 0.7× chance
- Open Sans11%285 sites · 0.6× chance
- Rubik4.6%123 sites · 2.8× chance
- Montserrat4%109 sites · 0.3× chance
- Poppins3.4%91 sites · 0.3× chance
- Lato2.9%77 sites · 0.4× chance
More than chanceArimo 5.2×Rubik 2.8×
Pair checkerAlef + any fontHow many of the 6,276,350 home pages counted load the two together, and how that compares with chance.Check this font with any other09 / Questions
Questions about Alef
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Alef free for commercial use?
Yes. Alef is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 , which allows commercial use at any scale, logos, websites, apps and PDFs included; a changed version may not be called “Alef”.
How do I download and install Alef?
FontKind doesn’t host Alef’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds two font files, one per style. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open, Word included.
Is Alef in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Alef isn’t one of Microsoft 365’s cloud fonts. Installed, it is in Word’s font menu and PowerPoint’s. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is Alef in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Alef under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Alef in Figma?
Yes: Alef is in Figma’s font menu with all two weights, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Alef have?
Alef comes in two weights: Regular (400) and Bold (700).
Who designed Alef?
Alef was designed by Hagilda and Mushon Zer-Aviv. It has been on Google Fonts since May 2013.
What fonts are similar to Alef?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Actor (82), Magra (76) and Nobile (75), out of 100. Next to Alef, Actor is 6% narrower, with an x-height 3% shorter. See all 100 fonts like Alef.