There are many ways to classify fonts. But the simplest way is to divide them into three groups: serif, sans-serif, and decorative/display.

Serif:
Serif fonts have little hooks or lines at the end of the lines that make the letters. Those hooks are called serifs. Garamond is a serifed font:

See those little serifs? They make the font look smarter. And easier to read when there's lots of text, which is why most books and newspapers are in a serif font.

Sans-Serif:
"Sans" means "without", so it follows that "sans-serif" fonts are without a serif...or serif-less.

Look, mom, no serifs. Sans-serif fonts are more casual and easier to read at longer distances, which is why signs are often in sans-serif fonts.

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