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is linked to C, but has been a member of the alphabet since ancient times. When the Romans
borrowed their alphabet from the Greeks, they found
themselves with three letters representing a K sound: C, K, and Q. They dropped all but K
(except for Greek and foreign words), replacing K with C.
K was typically used before vowels, and many K words (especially those followed by A, O, or U) are foreign.
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KERN: part of a letter that extends into the space of another. In many alphabets, the roman f has a kern to the right, the roman j a kern to the left, and the italic f one of each. As a verb, to kern means to alter the fit of certain letter combinations — To or VA, for example — so that the limb of one projects over or under the body or limb of the other.
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