What is the WCAG minimum font size?

WCAG 2.1 does not mandate a specific minimum font size in Success Criteria, but the understanding document recommends 18pt (24px) for large text in contrast calculations, and general best practice sets 16px as the minimum for body text. The absolute smallest readable size is considered 9pt (12px).

What counts as "large text" in WCAG?

WCAG defines large text as at least 18pt (approximately 24px) in normal weight, or at least 14pt (approximately 18.67px) in bold weight. Large text has a lower contrast ratio requirement of 3:1 instead of 4.5:1 for smaller text.

What is the 44px touch target rule?

WCAG 2.5.5 (Level AAA) recommends that interactive elements have a minimum touch target size of 44×44 CSS pixels. WCAG 2.5.8 (Level AA, added in 2.2) requires 24×24px as the minimum. This tool checks against both thresholds.

Font Size Checker

Check font sizes against WCAG accessibility guidelines for body, headings, and mobile.

Font size

Unit

Font weight

16.0px

16px at 400 weight

2/5 checks passed

✓

Body text minimum (16px)

Meets recommended 16px body text minimum.

body

✓

Absolute minimum (12px)

Meets absolute minimum for any visible text.

caption

✗

WCAG large text (18pt / 14pt bold)

Not large text. Needs to be ≥24px (or ≥18.67px bold). Normal contrast (4.5:1) required.

heading

✗

Touch target minimum (24px — WCAG 2.5.8 AA)

8.0px below WCAG 2.5.8 (Level AA) touch target minimum.

mobile

✗

Touch target recommended (44px — WCAG 2.5.5 AAA)

28.0px below recommended 44px touch target (Level AAA).

mobile

About the checks

• 16px body minimum is a best-practice recommendation, not a strict WCAG success criterion.

• Large text threshold affects contrast ratio requirements (3:1 vs 4.5:1).

• Touch target checks apply to interactive elements (buttons, links), not body text size.

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FAQ

What is the WCAG minimum font size?: WCAG 2.1 does not mandate a specific minimum font size in Success Criteria, but the understanding document recommends 18pt (24px) for large text in contrast calculations, and general best practice sets 16px as the minimum for body text. The absolute smallest readable size is considered 9pt (12px).
What counts as "large text" in WCAG?: WCAG defines large text as at least 18pt (approximately 24px) in normal weight, or at least 14pt (approximately 18.67px) in bold weight. Large text has a lower contrast ratio requirement of 3:1 instead of 4.5:1 for smaller text.
What is the 44px touch target rule?: WCAG 2.5.5 (Level AAA) recommends that interactive elements have a minimum touch target size of 44×44 CSS pixels. WCAG 2.5.8 (Level AA, added in 2.2) requires 24×24px as the minimum. This tool checks against both thresholds.

Font Size Checker validates a given font size and weight against WCAG 2.1 readability guidelines. Enter a size in px, rem, or pt and an optional font weight. The tool converts to pixels and checks it against: 16px recommended minimum for body text, 12px absolute minimum for any visible text, 18px (or 14px bold) for large text (relevant for contrast ratio thresholds), and 44px minimum touch target height for interactive elements. Results are shown as pass/fail for each context: body text, captions, headings, and mobile.