The cursive alphabet is the 26-letter English alphabet written in a flowing, slanted style where letters join together as you write. Because the pen stays on the paper for most of a word, cursive is faster than print once your hand learns the shapes. It is also the handwriting behind most signatures and many historical documents.

How the Cursive Alphabet Works

Every lowercase cursive letter starts with one of a few basic strokes, then ends with a joining stroke that leads into the next letter. Learn those starting strokes and the whole alphabet starts to feel like a family rather than 26 separate shapes.

Starting stroke	Lowercase letters	What it feels like
Undercurve	i, t, u, w, e, l, b, h, f, k, r, s, j, p	A swing up from the baseline, like a smile
Downcurve	a, d, g, o, c, q	A curve that rolls back over the top, like starting a c
Overcurve	n, m, v, x, y, z	A hump that rises and falls, like a small bridge

Groupings like this appear in many traditional school programs, though exact lists differ slightly between handwriting methods. Our letter pages follow the traditional American style shown in the chart above.

Cursive Capital Letters

Cursive capital letters are larger and more decorative, and several look very different from print. Capital Q resembles the number 2, while capital I and J share a similar top. See the full uppercase set on our cursive capital letters guide.

Lowercase Cursive Letters

Lowercase letters do most of the joining work, so they deserve most of your practice time. Watch the tall loops of b h k l, the descenders of g j y z and the high bridge exits of b o v w. Our lowercase cursive letters page groups them by stroke.

How to Learn the Cursive Alphabet

1. Tilt your paper slightly and keep a relaxed grip so your hand can glide.
2. Practice the three starting strokes before full letters.
3. Learn lowercase letters by stroke family, not in A to Z order.
4. Join two and three letter combinations such as an, it and on.
5. Add capitals last, then write short words and sentences every day.

For a full walkthrough, read how to write in cursive, then print free tracing pages from the cursive alphabet worksheets maker. You can learn more about the history of joined writing on Wikipedia’s cursive article.

Explore Cursive by Topic

Cursive Alphabet FAQ

What is the cursive alphabet?

The cursive alphabet is the set of 26 English letters written in a joined, slanted style so the pen rarely leaves the paper. Each letter has a capital and a lowercase form, and most lowercase letters connect to the next one.

How many letters are in the cursive alphabet?

There are 26 letters, the same as the print alphabet, which makes 52 shapes once you count capitals and lowercase. Numbers 0 to 9 are usually written much like print numbers.

What is the hardest cursive letter to learn?

Many learners find capital Q, capital Z and lowercase r and s the trickiest, because they look least like their print versions. Capital Q in traditional cursive looks a lot like the number 2.

Do all cursive letters connect?

Lowercase letters connect to each other, but many capital letters do not join to the next letter in traditional school cursive. Letters like b, o, v and w join from a high bridge stroke instead of the baseline.

How long does it take to learn cursive?

Most people can learn the letter shapes in two to four weeks with 10 to 15 minutes of daily practice. Writing smoothly and quickly takes a few more weeks of regular use.