diff --git a/packages/cli/src/linter/dtcg/handler.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/linter/dtcg/handler.test.ts
index 1933852f..ffa9ef0f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/linter/dtcg/handler.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/linter/dtcg/handler.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 import { describe, test, expect } from 'bun:test';
 import { DtcgEmitterHandler } from './handler.js';
+import { lint } from '../lint.js';
 import type { DesignSystemState, ResolvedColor, ResolvedDimension, ResolvedTypography } from '../model/spec.js';
 
 function emptyState(overrides?: Partial<DesignSystemState>): DesignSystemState {
@@ -170,7 +171,28 @@ describe('DtcgEmitterHandler', () => {
     expect(value['letterSpacing']).toEqual({ value: 0.5, unit: 'px' });
   });
 
-  test('typography with missing fields omits them from $value', () => {
+  test('typography without letterSpacing emits a 0px default', () => {
+    const body: ResolvedTypography = {
+      type: 'typography',
+      fontFamily: 'Manrope, Arial, sans-serif',
+      fontSize: makeDim(16, 'px'),
+      fontWeight: 400,
+      lineHeight: makeDim(1.6, ''),
+    };
+
+    const state = emptyState({
+      typography: new Map([['body-md', body]]),
+    });
+
+    const result = handler.execute(state);
+    expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+    if (!result.success) return;
+
+    const value = ((result.data['typography'] as Record<string, unknown>)['body-md'] as Record<string, unknown>)['$value'] as Record<string, unknown>;
+    expect(value['letterSpacing']).toEqual({ value: 0, unit: 'px' });
+  });
+
+  test('typography with missing fields omits them from $value except default letterSpacing', () => {
     const minimal: ResolvedTypography = {
       type: 'typography',
       fontFamily: 'Roboto',
@@ -189,6 +211,57 @@ describe('DtcgEmitterHandler', () => {
     expect(value['fontSize']).toBeUndefined();
     expect(value['fontWeight']).toBeUndefined();
     expect(value['lineHeight']).toBeUndefined();
-    expect(value['letterSpacing']).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(value['letterSpacing']).toEqual({ value: 0, unit: 'px' });
+  });
+
+  test('exported typography includes all DTCG required properties', () => {
+    const body: ResolvedTypography = {
+      type: 'typography',
+      fontFamily: 'Manrope',
+      fontSize: makeDim(16, 'px'),
+      fontWeight: 400,
+      lineHeight: makeDim(1.6, ''),
+    };
+
+    const state = emptyState({
+      typography: new Map([['body-md', body]]),
+    });
+
+    const result = handler.execute(state);
+    expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+    if (!result.success) return;
+
+    const value = ((result.data['typography'] as Record<string, unknown>)['body-md'] as Record<string, unknown>)['$value'] as Record<string, unknown>;
+    expect(Object.keys(value).sort()).toEqual(
+      ['fontFamily', 'fontSize', 'fontWeight', 'letterSpacing', 'lineHeight'].sort(),
+    );
+    expect(value['fontFamily']).toBe('Manrope');
+    expect(value['fontSize']).toEqual({ value: 16, unit: 'px' });
+    expect(value['fontWeight']).toBe(400);
+    expect(value['letterSpacing']).toEqual({ value: 0, unit: 'px' });
+    expect(value['lineHeight']).toBe(1.6);
+  });
+
+  test('YAML numeric lineHeight round-trips through lint into required DTCG typography props', () => {
+    const report = lint(`---
+typography:
+  body-md:
+    fontFamily: Manrope
+    fontSize: 16px
+    fontWeight: 400
+    lineHeight: 1.6
+---
+# Spec
+`);
+    const result = handler.execute(report.designSystem);
+    expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+    if (!result.success) return;
+
+    const value = ((result.data['typography'] as Record<string, unknown>)['body-md'] as Record<string, unknown>)['$value'] as Record<string, unknown>;
+    expect(Object.keys(value).sort()).toEqual(
+      ['fontFamily', 'fontSize', 'fontWeight', 'letterSpacing', 'lineHeight'].sort(),
+    );
+    expect(value['lineHeight']).toBe(1.6);
+    expect(value['letterSpacing']).toEqual({ value: 0, unit: 'px' });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/linter/dtcg/handler.ts b/packages/cli/src/linter/dtcg/handler.ts
index f4418226..0d90cb76 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/linter/dtcg/handler.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/linter/dtcg/handler.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ import type { DesignSystemState, ResolvedColor, ResolvedDimension, ResolvedTypog
 
 const DTCG_SCHEMA_URL = 'https://www.designtokens.org/schemas/2025.10/format.json';
 
+/** DESIGN.md has no required letterSpacing field; DTCG typography requires one. */
+const DEFAULT_LETTER_SPACING: DtcgDimensionValue = { value: 0, unit: 'px' };
+
 /**
  * Pure function mapping DesignSystemState → DTCG tokens.json (W3C Design Tokens Format Module 2025.10).
  * No side effects.
@@ -101,7 +104,9 @@ export class DtcgEmitterHandler implements DtcgEmitterSpec {
     if (typo.fontFamily) value.fontFamily = typo.fontFamily;
     if (typo.fontSize) value.fontSize = this.dimToValue(typo.fontSize);
     if (typo.fontWeight !== undefined) value.fontWeight = typo.fontWeight;
-    if (typo.letterSpacing) value.letterSpacing = this.dimToValue(typo.letterSpacing);
+    value.letterSpacing = typo.letterSpacing
+      ? this.dimToValue(typo.letterSpacing)
+      : DEFAULT_LETTER_SPACING;
     if (typo.lineHeight) {
       // DTCG lineHeight is a unitless multiplier of fontSize.
       // Our model stores it as a ResolvedDimension. Convert if possible.
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/linter/model/handler.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/linter/model/handler.test.ts
index e4023074..43fa79cd 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/linter/model/handler.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/linter/model/handler.test.ts
@@ -476,6 +476,28 @@ describe('ModelHandler', () => {
       expect(headline?.fontWeight).toBe(700);
     });
 
+    it('keeps unquoted YAML numeric lineHeight as a unitless multiplier', () => {
+      const result = handler.execute(makeParsed({
+        typography: {
+          'body-md': { fontFamily: 'Inter', fontSize: '16px', fontWeight: 400, lineHeight: 1.6 },
+        },
+      }));
+      const body = result.designSystem.typography.get('body-md');
+      expect(body?.lineHeight?.value).toBe(1.6);
+      expect(body?.lineHeight?.unit).toBe('');
+      expect(result.findings.filter((f) => f.path?.includes('lineHeight') === true)).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+
+    it('rejects unquoted YAML numeric fontSize because a unit is required', () => {
+      const result = handler.execute(makeParsed({
+        typography: {
+          'body-md': { fontFamily: 'Inter', fontSize: 16, fontWeight: 400 },
+        },
+      }));
+      expect(result.designSystem.typography.get('body-md')?.fontSize).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(result.findings.some((f) => f.path === 'typography.body-md.fontSize' && f.severity === 'error')).toBe(true);
+    });
+
     it('warns about unrecognized typography sub-properties that are silently dropped', () => {
       const result = handler.execute(makeParsed({
         typography: {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/linter/model/handler.ts b/packages/cli/src/linter/model/handler.ts
index 9ea1193b..1ac6b291 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/linter/model/handler.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/linter/model/handler.ts
@@ -377,6 +377,25 @@ function parseTypography(props: Record<string, string | number>, path: string, f
   const dimensionProps = ['fontSize', 'lineHeight', 'letterSpacing'] as const;
   for (const prop of dimensionProps) {
     const raw = props[prop];
+    if (typeof raw === 'number' && Number.isFinite(raw)) {
+      // YAML parses unquoted unitless values as numbers. lineHeight is a
+      // unitless multiplier in both DESIGN.md and DTCG; other dimension
+      // properties still require an explicit unit.
+      if (prop === 'lineHeight') {
+        result[prop] = {
+          type: 'dimension',
+          value: raw,
+          unit: '',
+        };
+      } else {
+        findings.push({
+          severity: 'error',
+          path: `${path}.${prop}`,
+          message: `'${raw}' is not a valid dimension. Include a unit (px, rem, or em).`,
+        });
+      }
+      continue;
+    }
     if (typeof raw === 'string') {
       if (isParseableDimension(raw)) {
         const parsed = parseDimension(raw);