font inspectorWhat font does Wikipedia use?
Wikipedia is the clearest example of a site where the font depends entirely on the reader’s device. There is nothing to download, so pages are fast everywhere. We inspected an article in the default desktop skin.
Short answer: Wikipedia loads no fonts at all. Body text uses the generic sans-serif keyword, so your browser’s default sans serif draws it, and headings use a serif stack that starts with Linux Libertine and falls back to Georgia.
Browser default sans serif
System font99.6%- CSS name
sans-serif- Weights
- 400, 700
- Sizes
- 16px · 14.4px · 14px · 12.8px · 12px
Linux Libertine, falling back to Georgia
System font0.3%- CSS name
Linux Libertine- Weights
- 400
- Sizes
- 28.8px · 24px
Sizes, weights and spacing by role
These are computed values from the live page, which is what the Font Inspector panel shows when you click each element.
| Role | Font | Size | Weight | Line height | Letter spacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headline | Georgia (fallback) | 28.8px | 400 | 1.38 | normal |
| Subheading | Default sans serif | 19.2px | 700 | 1.6 | normal |
| Body text | Default sans serif | 16px | 400 | 1.63 | normal |
The main font stack in the CSS:
font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, "Source Serif 4", serif;- This page is a live lesson in declared versus rendered fonts: the CSS asks for Linux Libertine, and the reader sees Georgia.
- Sizes such as 28.8px and 14.4px come from em-based scaling: 1.8 and 0.9 times the 16px base.
- Body text has a generous line height of about 1.63, which suits long articles.
Check any site yourself in one click.
Sites change their type without notice. Font Inspector shows the rendered font, size, weight and spacing of any text on en.wikipedia.org or anywhere else, and lists every font on the page. Free, no account.
About the fonts, and whether you can use them
Browser default sans serif
The CSS says only sans-serif. Each browser and operating system picks its own default: Arial on Windows, Helvetica on a Mac, and various fonts on Linux and Android.
Can you use it? Free, by definition. Writing font-family: sans-serif is all it takes.
Linux Libertine, falling back to Georgia
Headings ask for Linux Libertine, the open source serif of the Wikipedia wordmark. Most devices do not have it installed, so they fall back to Georgia, as ours did.
Can you use it? Linux Libertine is open source. Libertinus Serif, a maintained fork of it, is on Google Fonts. Georgia ships with Windows and macOS.
On Google Fonts: Libertinus Serif.
Finding a font does not license it. More in how to get a font you found, legally.
Get a similar look with a free font
This starter uses Source Serif 4, which is open source, with the sizes and spacing measured above. It is an approximation, not a copy of Wikipedia’s brand typeface.
/* Approximates the Wikipedia look with a free font */
body {
font-family: "Source Serif 4", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;
}
h1 {
font-size: 1.8rem; /* 28.8px */
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.38;
}
p {
font-size: 1rem; /* 16px */
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.63;
}How we checked
We opened en.wikipedia.org in Chrome on September 20, 2026 and read the computed styles of its visible text: the declared font stack, the font actually rendered, and how much of the page’s text each family sets. That is the same data the Font Inspector extension shows under Fonts on this page. We re-check these pages periodically, and the date above shows the last inspection.
Wikipedia and its typefaces are trademarks of their respective owners. Font Inspector is not affiliated with Wikipedia.
Questions & answers
What font does Wikipedia use on its website?
Wikipedia loads no fonts at all. Body text uses the generic sans-serif keyword, so your browser’s default sans serif draws it, and headings use a serif stack that starts with Linux Libertine and falls back to Georgia.
Can I use the Wikipedia font?
Free, by definition. Writing font-family: sans-serif is all it takes.
How can I check what font Wikipedia uses myself?
Open en.wikipedia.org, then click any text with the Font Inspector extension, or right-click, choose Inspect and look at Rendered Fonts in the Computed tab. Sites change their typography, so checking the live page is the only way to be sure.