Based on a quick survey of 100 typefaces, it's wrong. The "W" is a combination of two "V"s, and the "V" always has the thicker stroke on the left; the "W" always follows the same convention. I offer a warning about complaint. Another math-funner once entered a shop to let them know that their sign had the word "apothecary" spelled wrong. He learned that the owner's name was "Carey" and the sign was a deliberate play on words. So maybe you will find that the owner of this shop is "Backwards Will". The two "H"s seems to have the crossbar at different heights. Hilarie
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2015 10:24:52 -0400 From: James Propp <jamespropp@gmail.com> Subject: [math-fun] Backwards W?
Typography is a bit removed from math, but I know some of you are font geeks, and in any case, the ability to attend to minutiae of notation is a part of the mathematician's toolkit.
So without further apology, let me ask: Is the "W" in http://jamespropp.org/backwards-w.jpg truly backwards, as I think it is? Or does this sort of font-asymmetry admit variations?
What's the relevant nomenclature describing the thickness of ascending and descending strokes? (If, ignoring my wife's counsel, I end up entering the Hollingworth 5 and 10 to tell them that their W is backwards, I want to sound like I know what I'm talking about, even if I actually don't.)
Jim Propp