ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Regional handwriting variation

Do you know how sometimes when you read something someone else wrote, you can tell who wrote it just by looking at the way they write their letters? That's because everyone has their own way of writing. But did you know that people who live in different places might have different ways that they write their letters too? That's called regional handwriting variation.

Like, let's say you live in a city and your friend lives in a small town. Even if you both learned to write the same way in school, your friend might write their letters a little bit differently than you because they're used to writing letters in their town. It's kind of like how people might have different accents when they talk depending on where they're from.

Regional handwriting variation happens because people learn to write from different teachers and might get used to writing in different ways depending on where they grew up. So, if you're ever comparing your handwriting to someone else's, try not to worry if their letters look a little bit different than yours. It's just one more example of how everyone is unique!