Cursive alphabet

What the cursive alphabet is

The cursive alphabet is the same 26 letters you already know, written so they join. Each lowercase letter has an entry stroke that comes in from the line and an exit stroke that leads out to the next letter, so a whole word can be written without lifting the pencil. That is the main thing cursive changes. The letters still have the same sounds and the same order; they are simply shaped to flow.

There is more than one cursive style. Most US schools that teach cursive use a style close to Zaner-Bloser, the one shown on this site: an upright, rounded hand with loops on the tall letters (b, f, h, k, l) and on the letters that drop below the line (f, g, j, p, q, y, z). Some schools use D’Nealian, which slants more and was designed so that print letters turn into cursive with small changes. Others use simpler “italic” styles. If your child brings home worksheets that look a little different from ours, it is usually the capitals that differ, and both styles are correct. Follow the school when you can, so your child is not learning two versions of the same letter.

Lowercase cursive letters a to z

Lowercase letters do most of the work in cursive, because most words are almost entirely lowercase. Schools rarely teach them from a to z. They group them by the first stroke, because letters that start the same way are easier to learn together:

• Undercurve letters start with a swing up from the baseline: i, t, u, w, e, l, b, h, f, k, r, s, j and p. The first four (i, t, u, w) are the classic starting point, since they are short and use only one or two strokes.
• Downcurve letters start like a c, curving back and around: a, d, g, o, c and q. Once a child can make a smooth c, these six come quickly.
• Overcurve letters start with a small hump up and over: n, m, x, y, v and z.

A few lowercase letters cause most of the trouble. The cursive f has a tall loop on top and a long loop below, so it covers all three spaces on the line. The cursive r and s look nothing like their print forms, which is why “cursive s” and “cursive r” are some of the most searched letters. Cursive z has a looped tail that many adults never learned. Each of these has its own page here with the strokes broken down and the one mistake children make most often.

Capital cursive letters A to Z

Cursive capitals are taught after the lowercase letters, usually in third grade. They are larger and more decorated, and several look very different from print: G, Q, Z and the cursive I and J surprise most children.

The detail that matters most for neat writing is which capitals join the next letter. In the school style used here, B, D, F, O, P, S, V and W stand alone: you finish the capital, lift the pencil, and start the next letter fresh. The other 18 capitals carry straight into the lowercase letter after them. So “Hannah” is one joined movement, while “Sophie” has a small lift after the S. Children who try to force a join after every capital end up with awkward loops, so it helps to learn this rule early. The cursive capital letters page lists both groups.

How cursive letters join

Joins are where cursive becomes cursive. Most joins are simple: a letter ends with an undercurve at the baseline, and that stroke swings up into the next letter. Four lowercase letters break the pattern. The letters b, o, v and w end high, at the midline, with a small checkstroke. The letter after them has to start from up there instead of from the baseline. Teachers call these high joins or bridge strokes.

High joins are the most common reason a child’s cursive looks wrong even when every single letter is right. “Brown”, “over” and “window” all have one or more. If the join dips down to the baseline after an o, the word looks like it has an extra letter in it. The connecting letters worksheets practise baseline joins first, then the high joins one letter at a time.

Two more rules finish a word. Dots and crosses come last: write the whole word, then go back to dot the i and j and cross the t and x. And the pencil only lifts between words, after a stand-alone capital, or for those dots and crosses.

When children learn cursive

Most US schools that teach cursive start in second or third grade, around age 7 or 8. By then most children can write print letters neatly, hold a pencil with some control, and sit for ten minutes of careful writing. Starting earlier is possible, and some Montessori and European schools teach joined writing from the start, but it works best once print is steady.

Cursive is not part of the Common Core standards, so whether it is taught depends on the state and the school. Since 2016 more than 20 states have passed laws or guidance that bring cursive back into the classroom, often by the end of fifth grade. In the UK, “joined handwriting” is part of the national curriculum from Year 2 or Year 3, though the letter shapes are usually simpler than American cursive.

If your child’s school does not teach cursive, ten minutes a day at home is enough to learn it. Many parents start because their child wants to read a grandparent’s letters, sign their name, or write birthday cards that look special.

Why learn cursive at all

Some people ask whether cursive still matters when children type so much. There are a few practical reasons it still earns a place.

• Reading it. Family letters, recipe cards, historical documents and many teachers’ comments are written in cursive. Children who never learn to write it often struggle to read it.
• A signature. A joined signature is quick to write and harder to copy than a printed name. The signature practice sheets are some of our most used.
• Speed and flow. Once it is learned, cursive is usually faster than print for long notes, because the pencil does not stop and start between letters.
• Letter reversals. Because each lowercase letter starts at the baseline and moves in one direction, cursive can make b and d harder to mix up. Many teachers of children with dyslexia use joined writing for this reason, though it is one tool among several, not a cure.

How to practise the cursive alphabet

Short, regular practice works better than long sessions. A good routine for a child learning the cursive alphabet looks like this:

1. Warm up for a minute. Loops, waves and a row of undercurves on scrap paper loosen the hand and get the slant even.
2. Learn one or two new letters. Watch the steps on the letter’s page, say the strokes out loud (“undercurve, slant, undercurve”), and trace the grey letters slowly.
3. Write the letter alone. On the empty rows, write it from memory. Then circle the best one on each row. Judging their own work helps children notice what a good letter looks like.
4. Join it to letters already learned. As soon as two letters are known, write them together. “it”, “ut” and “tu” are real practice after just i, t and u.
5. Review. Spend the last couple of minutes on yesterday’s letters.

At two new letters a week, most children know every lowercase letter in about three months. Capitals take another month or two.

For printed practice, the cursive alphabet worksheets have one page per letter, the beginner cursive worksheets follow the letter groups, and the cursive worksheet maker prints any word or name you type, including your child’s own name, in the same school style.

Common cursive mistakes and quick fixes

Mistake	What it looks like	Fix
Open tops on a, d, g, o, q	a reads as u, d as cl	Close the circle at the midline before slanting down
Dipping after b, o, v, w	“over” looks like “ouer”	Keep the join at the midline, then start the next letter
Loops too fat or too tall	e looks like l	e stays below the midline; l reaches the top line
Uneven slant	Letters lean different ways	Tilt the paper, not the body, and keep strokes parallel
Lifting mid-word	Gaps inside words	Only lift for dots, crosses and stand-alone capitals
Joining after every capital	Odd loops after S, O, P	Lift after B, D, F, O, P, S, V and W

Cursive alphabet chart and printables

A cursive alphabet chart is useful on a desk or the fridge while a child learns: seeing all the letters together makes it easier to spot letter families and look up a letter mid-word. Every letter on this page links to its own guide, and each guide has a printable sheet with a model row, grey letters to trace and empty rows to write alone, on US Letter or A4.

For words people often want to write, such as “Happy birthday”, “Thank you” or the days of the week, see words in cursive. For names, see names in cursive. And if you want to understand the whole process from the first stroke to joined sentences, read how to write in cursive.