Formatting Issues

How to Prevent Calibri Italic from Changing the Letter A

Huma Ashraf Ch Oct 12, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to stop the Calibri or Cambria fonts from changing the glyph of the lowercase letter 'a' when applying italic formatting, specifically to preserve phonetic letterforms.

How to Prevent Calibri Italic from Changing the Letter A

Product: Word Processor
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Formatting text containing the lowercase letter 'a' with italics while working on phonetic transcriptions or IPA documents.
Observed behavior: When italicized, the font automatically changes the lowercase letter 'a' from a double-story shape to a single-story shape, which breaks International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) standards.

Before you start

Before attempting to fix this issue, highlight the specific text where you need to preserve the exact letterform, as you will need to apply a different font to those selections.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Font with Oblique Styling

Switch to a font that uses an oblique style rather than a true italic design, ensuring the letterforms simply slant without changing their underlying shape.

Fonts like Calibri and Cambria are designed with 'true italics.' This means certain lowercase letters (such as 'a' and 'g') are completely redrawn to mimic handwriting when italicized. Because this behavior is hardcoded into the font's design by its creator, it cannot be toggled off in your word processor.

To preserve the original letterform, you must use an 'oblique' font. Oblique fonts do not redesign the characters; they simply slant the regular upright letterforms.

Select the Target Text

Highlight the specific text or the letter 'a' that you want to italicize without changing its structural shape.

Change the Font Type

Navigate to the Home tab and open the Font dropdown menu. Select an oblique font such as 'Arial' or 'Courier New'.

Apply Italic Formatting

Click the 'I' (Italic) button on your formatting toolbar or press Ctrl+I. The letter 'a' will now slant while retaining its original double-story shape.

Font Consistency: Using a different font for single characters may look slightly mismatched with surrounding Calibri text. For professional documents, consider switching the entire document to Arial or a dedicated IPA font.

Solution 2

Install Dedicated IPA Fonts

Download and install official fonts recommended by the International Phonetic Association to maintain phonetic symbol accuracy.

Format Typography Easily

Manage Fonts and Formatting Precisely with WPS Writer

WPS Office offers a comprehensive suite of typographic controls, making it simple to manage specialized fonts, apply oblique styling, and handle intricate phonetic transcriptions smoothly.

1. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document containing your phonetic transcriptions or specialized text.
2. Select the Text: Highlight the specific letter or words where you need to preserve the exact letterform.
3. Apply an Alternative Font: Navigate to the Home tab, click the Font dropdown list, and select an oblique font like Arial or Courier New.
4. Italicize Safely: Click the Italic icon on the ribbon. Your letters will now be slanted without morphing into a different glyph style.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word document formats (.docx)Flawlessly supports all custom and specialized system fonts (including IPA)Intuitive font management and formatting tools for precise controlLightweight, fast, and completely free to use

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the letter 'g' also change shape when I use Calibri italic?

Just like the lowercase 'a', the lowercase 'g' in Calibri is designed as a 'true italic.' The font designer intentionally created a different, single-loop glyph for the italicized version instead of just slanting the standard double-loop letter.

Is there a hidden setting to turn off true italics in Word or WPS?

No. The italic letterforms are hardcoded into the Calibri font file itself. There is no software setting in any word processor to disable this design; your only option is to switch to a different font.

What is the exact difference between a true italic and an oblique font?

True italic fonts feature characters that are specially redesigned by a typographer to look more cursive when slanted. Oblique fonts, on the other hand, simply take the standard upright characters and mathematically slant them without changing their fundamental structure.

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