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Watch how the vertical wedge is formed. The stylus presses straight down, creating a head at the top and a tail pointing downward.

Vertical Wedge

Head at the top, tail pointing down.

Historical Context

Vertical wedges required a different wrist motion than horizontal ones. The scribe would rotate their stylus and press downward, creating a wedge with its head at the top. This stroke appears in many common signs including the numeral for "one."

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