When it comes to designing a blog, headings do more than just make your text look pretty. They serve as guides for readers, helping them scan content, understand structure, and stay engaged. One critical aspect of heading design that’s often overlooked is font size. The right heading sizes improve readability, accessibility, and overall user experience (UX).
Here’s a deep dive into best practices for heading font sizes and how to implement them effectively.
Why Heading Font Sizes Matter
Headings are visual markers that indicate the importance and structure of content. Properly sized headings:
- Make content easy to scan
- Improve readability across devices
- Establish a clear visual hierarchy
- Enhance accessibility for screen readers
- Support SEO by structuring content logically
A user visiting your blog should instantly know what the main topic is, which sections are major, and what subtopics fall under them—just by looking at the headings.
Recommended Heading Font Sizes
For optimal UX, heading sizes should create a visual ladder, gradually decreasing in size from H1 to H4 while staying readable on both desktop and mobile devices.
| Heading | Desktop Font Size | Mobile Font Size | UX Purpose |
| H1 | 32–36px | 24–28px | Main blog/page title; draws attention immediately |
| H2 | 24–28px | 20–22px | Major sections; organizes content logically |
| H3 | 20–22px | 18–20px | Sub-sections under H2; breaks up long content |
| H4 | 18–20px | 16–18px | Optional smaller sections or notes |
| Body | 16px | 14–16px | Standard readable text size |
| Caption / Small Text | 14px | 12–14px | Minor content like image captions or disclaimers |
UX Tip: Each heading level should be noticeably different from the next to guide the reader’s eye naturally down the page.
Additional Best Practices for Heading Font Sizes
1. Maintain Proportional Scaling
Use relative units like em or rem for heading sizes. This ensures headings scale correctly across different devices. A good proportional ratio is roughly:
H1:H2:H3 ≈ 1.5 : 1.25 : 1.1 compared to body text.
2. Optimize for Readability
- Avoid making headings too small—they must be readable without zooming.
- Avoid overly large headings that dominate the page visually.
- Use line-height of 1.2–1.4× the font size to improve readability.
3. Consistency is Key
- Keep all H2s the same size, all H3s the same size, etc.
- Inconsistent heading sizes confuse users and disrupt scanning patterns.
4. Mobile-First Design
- Reduce font sizes slightly on smaller screens but maintain the visual hierarchy.
- Test headings on mobile devices to ensure readability without clutter.
5. Accessibility Considerations
- Always use semantic heading tags (H1–H6), not just styled text.
- Screen readers rely on headings for navigation.
- Avoid all-caps for headings—they are harder to read for some users.
Heading font sizes are more than a design choice—they are a critical UX factor that impacts readability, scanning, and user engagement. By implementing a clear hierarchy, using proportional scaling, and optimizing for both desktop and mobile, you can make your blog easy to navigate and enjoyable to read.
Remember: good headings guide your readers through your content effortlessly, keeping them engaged and increasing the likelihood they’ll return for more.