Is 12 size font on Word the same size as 12 on Mac Pages?

Question

It doesn't look the same to me. It is standard to write papers using 12 font size so I need to make sure I have it right. Thanks.

Answer 1

If they are True Type fonts, they will be the same size. That is, a M is larger than an M in any other font. Each letter has a certain number of points. One of your answers gave you some good information about this.  

Answer 2

12 points is 1/6 inch - it doesn't depend on computers, it's a linear measure.  Is one inch on a Mac the same as one inch on a PC?  (It depends on your screen size and resolution, but it's the same on paper.)

Answer 3

That '12' is 'points' and it's a printing unit of measure. It should print the same, but that doesn't mean it should display the same on screen. Different screen resolutions, different font implementations, etc. affect how they display on screen.