next/font/google: allow axes with discrete weight for variable fonts

Link to the code that reproduces this issue

https://github.com/zeinds/next-font-axes-discrete-weight-repro

To Reproduce

Link to the code that reproduces this issue

https://github.com/zeinds/next-font-axes-discrete-weight-repro

To Reproduce

1. Clone the reproduction repository.

2. Install dependencies.

3. Run pnpm build (or npm run build).

4. Observe the build error:

   Axes can only be defined for variable fonts when the weight property is nonexistent or set to variable.

Current vs. Expected behavior

Current behavior:

next/font/google throws when axes is combined with a discrete weight on a variable font.

Example:

import { Newsreader } from 'next/font/google';

export const newsreader = Newsreader({
  subsets: ['latin'],
  weight: ['700'],
  style: ['normal'],
  axes: ['opsz'],
  display: 'swap',
});

Current vs. Expected behavior

This combination should be allowed.

Google Fonts itself supports this request shape. For example, this URL works:

https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Newsreader:opsz,wght@6..72,700&display=swap

So it should be possible for next/font/google to request a discrete weight instance of a variable font while still preserving the requested axis.

Why this matters

Today there are only two workarounds:

1. Use weight: 'variable' with axes, which keeps the axis but serves the full variable range.
2. Use a discrete weight without axes, which reduces payload but drops the optical sizing axis.

There is currently no way through next/font/google to get both:

• a discrete weight
• and a retained axis such as opsz

Provide environment information

Operating System:
  Platform: darwin
  Arch: arm64
Binaries:
  Node: 24.16.0
  npm: 10.8.2
  pnpm: 10.33.0
Relevant Packages:
  next: 16.1.6
  react: 19.2.4
  react-dom: 19.2.4
  typescript: 5.9.3

Which area(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

Font (next/font)

Which stage(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

next build (local)

Additional context

Previous auto-closed issue because the reproduction link was not recognized by the triage bot:

https://github.com/vercel/next.js/issues/95683

This new issue uses a public GitHub reproduction repository instead.

Start with the linked next-font-axes-discrete-weight-repro repository and run its dependency installation followed by pnpm build or npm run build. Trace the next/font/google entry point that rejects axes with a discrete weight, then verify that the Newsreader example builds while retaining the requested opsz axis and weight 700.