Compare Fonts → Sans Serif → Raleway vs Instrument Sans

Raleway vs Instrument Sans

Both are sans serif faces on Google Fonts. Raleway has the larger x-height, so it looks bigger at the same size. Raleway takes more horizontal space.

Try your own text

Raleway

Handgloves & Quartz Jockeys

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs, then ship it to 1,842 Grove Street by 9:30 AM.

Handgloves & Quartz Jockeys

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs, then ship it to 1,842 Grove Street by 9:30 AM.

Measured from the font files. Heights and widths are shown as a share of the font size, so they compare directly at any point size.
Measurement	Raleway	Instrument Sans	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	51.9%	51.0%	0.9%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	71.0%	72.0%	1.0%
x-height to cap ratioProportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.	0.73	0.71	0.02
Stroke weightMeasured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.	6.9%	8.2%	1.3%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.87	0.83	0.04
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	52.6%	52.5%	0.1%

Stroke weight: Raleway measures 6.9%, Instrument Sans measures 8.2%. Measured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.
Stroke contrast: Raleway measures 0.87, Instrument Sans measures 0.83. Horizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.
x-height: Raleway measures 51.9%, Instrument Sans measures 51.0%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.