Sans serif · Cyreal
Rationale
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Rationale', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Rationale is a free sans serif by Cyreal, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, Rationale has an average x-height, is narrower than 89% and, at its regular weight, is of average darkness. Its thickest strokes are 1.4 times its thinnest: moderate stroke contrast.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Pramukh Rounded
Rationale on one light table with its two closest fonts, Pramukh Rounded (83 out of 100) and Teko (79). Pramukh Rounded is 41% narrower and 16% heavier, with an x-height 12% taller; Teko is 43% heavier and 19% narrower, with an x-height 4% shorter.
Rationale and Pramukh Rounded laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with RationalePramukh Rounded…
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 Rationale 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 / Sizes
Rationale at every size
1 weight (400) · six sizes, in your words
- 12 px
- 16 px
- 24 px
- 36 px
- 48 px
- 72 px
04 / Facts
Who made Rationale, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Cyreal
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 1 weight (400)
- On Google Fonts since
- 2011
- Character sets
- 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 “Rationale”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Rationale 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 Rationale, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Rationale under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Rationale, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 50.8% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 70.0% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.73lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 40.8% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 41%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.38 : 1moderate stroke contrast
Where it stands among sans serifs
Ranked against all 697 sans serifs on FontKind
x-heightNear the middle of sans serifs
WidthNarrower than 89% of sans serifs
InkNear the middle of sans serifs
ContrastMore contrast than 86% of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Rationale
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Pramukh Rounded8341% narrower · x-height 12% taller · 16% heavier
- Teko7943% heavier · 19% narrower · x-height 4% shorter
- Homenaje7413% narrower · 11% heavier
- Gemunu Libre7311% heavier · x-height 4% shorter · less stroke contrast
- Economica7016% narrower · x-height 6% taller · less stroke contrast
- Firjar Condensed6820% narrower · x-height 13% shorter · 19% heavier
All 100 fonts similar to Rationale →Compare side by side →Get Rationale on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Rationale without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Gemunu Libre73text 2.2% narrower · x-height 3.5% shorter
- WDXL Lubrifont JP N59text 2.4% narrower · x-height 4.5% shorter
- Squada One48text 2.5% wider · x-height 3.9% shorter
- Saira Condensed40text 2.1% narrower · same x-height
- Jockey One37text 2.8% wider · x-height 0.6% taller
- Asap Condensed34text 0.5% wider · x-height 3.4% taller
Fallback while it loads
Until Rationale loads, this sets Arial in its place at 81.8% of its size, so running text keeps Rationale’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Rationale Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 81.84%;
ascent-override: 110.33%;
descent-override: 30.55%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Rationale', 'Rationale Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Questions
Questions about Rationale
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Rationale free for commercial use?
Yes. Rationale 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 “Rationale”.
How do I download and install Rationale?
FontKind doesn’t host Rationale’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds a single font file. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open, Word included.
Is Rationale in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Rationale 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 Rationale in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Rationale under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Rationale in Figma?
Yes: Rationale is in Figma’s font menu, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Rationale have?
Rationale comes in one weight, Regular (400). Ask for bold and most apps thicken the letters themselves: a faux bold, not a drawn one.
Who designed Rationale?
Rationale was designed by Cyreal. It has been on Google Fonts since August 2011. Cyreal also made Nunito, Oswald, Mulish and 31 more on FontKind.
What fonts are similar to Rationale?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Pramukh Rounded (83), Teko (79) and Homenaje (74), out of 100. Next to Rationale, Pramukh Rounded is 41% narrower and 16% heavier, with an x-height 12% taller. See all 100 fonts like Rationale.