The letters are joined together by means of their _coupling-strokes_, which for this purpose may be slightly drawn out, and forward, from the naturally round forms of the letters (see «c», «e», &c., fig. 52 & fig. 59).
The _coupling-strokes_ are finishing strokes--and as such are akin to _serifs_ (p. 244)--growing out of or added to such stems as need "finishing."
Coupling enables one to write faster and with [p076] more freedom, the concluding or "coupling" stroke not being _slowed down_, but written with a dash, which is covered by the first stroke of the succeeding [p077] letter. It keeps the individual words more distinct, and therefore permits closer spacing of the text. Coupling is for convenience _and_ legibility, and where it tends to interfere with legibility, we must be careful. The freer and more _cursive_ the hand, the greater is the tendency to join and run letters together, as in ordinary writing.
It is preferable to couple letters below, if possible. Couplings above are sometimes apt to confuse the reading; for example, the cross-bar of «t» (though the most natural coupling for the scribe to use--see _petatis_, Plate VII.) should generally be made to pass over or fall short of the succeeding letter (see fig. 52).
The letters of a word are fitted together so that there is a general effect of evenness. This evenness is only to be attained by practice: it is characteristic of rapid skilful writing, and cannot be produced satisfactorily by any system of measurement while the writer's hand is still slow and uncertain. It is worth noting, however, that the white interspaces vary slightly, while the actual distances between the letters vary considerably, according to whether the adjacent strokes curve (or slant) away or are perpendicular (figs. 53, 152).
It is sufficient for the beginner to take care that two curved letters are made very near each other, and that two straight strokes are spaced well apart.
If the curves are too far apart there will be spots of light, and where several heavy stems are made too close together, "blots" of dark, marring the evenness of the page. [p078]
_Words_ are kept as close as is compatible with legibility. The average space between two words is the width of the letter «o» (fig. 54). [p079]