How to write in cursive

Learn the four basic strokes, then the letters in the groups schools teach, then the joins. Most children can write joined words within a few months of short daily practice.

The seven steps

Get set up. Sit up straight, tilt the paper about 30 degrees (left for right-handers, right for left-handers) and hold the pencil loosely.
Learn the basic strokes. Undercurve, downcurve, overcurve and slant. Every cursive letter is made from these four.
Learn the letters in groups. Undercurve letters first, then downcurve, then overcurve. Letters in a group start the same way.
Join two letters. Carry the ending stroke of one letter straight into the start of the next, without lifting the pencil.
Watch the high joins. After b, o, v and w, the next letter starts at the midline, not the baseline.
Write words, then sentences. Lift the pencil only at the end of a word, then dot the i and j and cross the t and x.
Add the capitals. Learn them last. B, D, F, O, P, S, V and W stand alone; the rest join the next letter.

The letter groups

School programmes such as Zaner-Bloser teach lowercase cursive in three groups, named after the first stroke of each letter.

Undercurve letters

They begin with an undercurve: a swing up from the baseline, like the start of a smile.

i t u w e l b h f k r s j p

Downcurve letters

They begin like a c, curving back and around to the left.

a d g o c q

Overcurve letters

They begin with an overcurve: a small hump up and over to the right.

n m x y v z

Every letter has its own page with its strokes, the common mistake and how it joins: see all cursive letters.

Joining letters

Most joins start at the baseline: the letter ends with an undercurve that swings up into the next one. Four letters, b, o, v and w, end high, so the letter after them starts at the midline. Children who miss this write "brown" and "over" with a dip that looks like an extra letter. The connecting letters worksheets practise both kinds.

How long it takes

With ten to fifteen minutes a day, most children learn the lowercase letters in two to three months and write joined words soon after. Short daily practice works better than a long weekly session.

Worksheets for each stage

Last updated October 15, 2026.