Font sizing for Thai and East Asian text

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Thai and East Asian text may look smaller in Windows Internet Explorer 9 than in Windows Internet Explorer 8 and earlier releases.

In Internet Explorer 8, Thai and East Asian text could be rendered at a larger font size than specified when:

  • The specified font size was 9pt or smaller
  • The specified font family did not support Thai or East Asian characters such as Arial

Thus, a Thai paragraph of 8pt Arial would be rendered using the fallback font (specified by clicking the Fonts button under the General tab of the Internet Options dialog box) and the latter would then be scaled up to match Arial metrics. As a result, the real size is larger than it would have been if the web author had requested that font at 8pt.

In Internet Explorer 9, the specified font size is always respected. Thus, as the fallback font is no longer scaled up, text may appear smaller.

When possible, make sure the first value of the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) font-family property supports your language.

For instance, instead of asking for Arial, use MS Gothic. Instead of Times New Roman, use Mincho. Instead of Verdana, use Meiryo. To check the default fallback mappings used by Windows Internet Explorer, click the Fonts button under the General tab of the Internet Options dialog box.

This will ensure your text renders using the specified font size in all versions and modes of Internet Explorer.