Cursive Letters: The Full A to Z Set, Capital and Lowercase

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Cursive letters are the joined, flowing forms of the alphabet that people write without lifting the pen between most letters. Each of the 26 letters has a capital and a lowercase form, and the lowercase forms are built from a handful of repeating curves. Learn those curves and the whole set starts to feel like one connected system instead of 52 separate shapes.

This page is the hub for everything on the site. Below you will find the full A to Z set, the stroke families that organize the letters, a link to a dedicated lesson for every letter, and the basics of joining. The examples use traditional American school cursive, the style most US classrooms have taught for generations.

The Full Set of Cursive Letters, A to Z

The table lists every letter as a capital and lowercase pair, the stroke family its lowercase form belongs to, and a link to the full lesson. Click any row to see stroke-by-stroke instructions, joins and common mistakes for that letter.

Letter pair	Lowercase family	Lesson
Aa	Downcurve (oval)	A in cursive
Bb	Tall loop	B in cursive
Cc	Downcurve (oval)	C in cursive
Dd	Downcurve (oval)	D in cursive
Ee	Undercurve	E in cursive
Ff	Tall loop	F in cursive
Gg	Downcurve (oval)	G in cursive
Hh	Tall loop	H in cursive
Ii	Undercurve	I in cursive
Jj	Special shapes	J in cursive
Kk	Tall loop	K in cursive
Ll	Tall loop	L in cursive
Mm	Overcurve	M in cursive
Nn	Overcurve	N in cursive
Oo	Downcurve (oval)	O in cursive
Pp	Special shapes	P in cursive
Qq	Downcurve (oval)	Q in cursive
Rr	Special shapes	R in cursive
Ss	Special shapes	S in cursive
Tt	Undercurve	T in cursive
Uu	Undercurve	U in cursive
Vv	Overcurve	V in cursive
Ww	Undercurve	W in cursive
Xx	Overcurve	X in cursive
Yy	Overcurve	Y in cursive
Zz	Overcurve	Z in cursive

If you only want the capitals or the lowercase set on one page, see cursive capital letters and lowercase cursive letters. For a printable sheet, use the cursive alphabet chart.

Capital and Lowercase Cursive Letters

Capital cursive letters start names and sentences. They are larger, usually stand alone, and are often not joined to the letter that follows. Many capitals look quite different from their print versions, so they deserve separate practice.

Lowercase cursive letters do most of the work. They are smaller, they connect to one another, and they sit on a line called the baseline. Short letters such as a, e and n reach only to the midline, halfway up the writing space. Tall letters such as l and h climb to the headline at the top.

The Four Basic Strokes Behind Cursive Letters

Almost every cursive letter is made from a few simple strokes. Teachers name them differently, but these four terms cover most classroom charts.

• Undercurve: a curved stroke that begins at the baseline and swings upward, like the start of i or u.
• Overcurve: a curved stroke that rises, then arches over the top and comes back down, like the humps in m and n.
• Downcurve: a stroke that begins at the top and curves down and around to the left, like the oval in a, c and o.
• Slant stroke: a straight, slightly tilted line, used for the stems of letters such as d and t. Keeping every slant stroke at the same angle is what makes writing look neat.

Cursive Letters by Stroke Family

Grouping letters by their opening stroke is the fastest way to learn the set. One common grouping is shown below, though textbooks differ slightly on where a few letters belong.

• Downcurve letters: a, c, d, g, o, q. They start with a small counterclockwise oval.
• Undercurve letters: i, t, u, w, e. They start with an upward swing from the baseline.
• Overcurve letters: m, n, v, x, y, z. They start with a hump that arches over.
• Tall loop letters: l, h, k, b, f. Each has a loop that climbs to the headline.
• Special shapes: j, p, r and s. These do not behave like the others, which is why they cause so many mix-ups.

A descender is the part of a letter that dips below the baseline. In cursive, g, j, p, q, y, z and f all have one. An ascender is the part that rises above the midline, as in b, d, f, h, k and l.

How Cursive Letters Join Together

A join, sometimes called a bridge, is the small connecting stroke that carries you from the end of one letter into the start of the next. Most letters end with a small upward tail at the baseline, and that tail becomes the first stroke of the next letter. This is why a word like mine can be written in one smooth motion.

Four letters, b, o, v and w, finish near the top of the writing space instead of the baseline. Their joins are called high bridges, and they must travel across to the next letter rather than swing up from below. Read more in connecting cursive letters.

A Sensible Order for Learning Cursive Letters

You do not have to learn cursive in alphabetical order, and most teachers do not teach it that way. Starting with the simplest curves builds confidence, and alphabet order mixes easy letters with awkward ones. A practical order is the undercurve letters first, then the downcurve ovals, then the overcurve humps, then the tall loops, and finally the special shapes.

Take your time with the basics in how to write in cursive, then practice on lined pages from our cursive alphabet worksheets. For a gentler start with young learners, try ABC in cursive.

Reading and Recognizing Cursive Letters

Writing cursive and reading it are separate skills. Many people can write a clear letter but struggle to read a friend’s rushed handwriting. The most useful habit is to learn the letters that look alike once they are joined into words.

The classic confusions are e and l when the loop fills in, n and u when the humps are uneven, and a and o when the oval is left open. Context helps too: if a word makes no sense, try swapping in a look-alike. Our guide on how to read cursive goes through these cases with examples.

Why Cursive Letters Still Matter

Cursive is not just a school tradition. It is the handwriting of family letters, historical records and signatures. Learning it lets you read documents written before keyboards, and it gives you a personal signature that is harder to copy than print. Some researchers and teachers also argue that the continuous movement helps fine motor development, though findings are mixed and you should treat any single claim cautiously. See why learn cursive for the balanced picture.

For adults, cursive is also a pleasant, calming skill, and there is no deadline for it. If you are coming back to it after years, cursive handwriting for adults has a step-by-step plan, and you can learn a bit of the background in the history of cursive.

Cursive Letters in Words and Names

Once you know the shapes, the best way to improve is to write real words. Start with short words that use only one stroke family, then move on to mixed words. Names are especially motivating, and the name in cursive tool lets you see yours in several script styles. When you are ready for whole sentences, try cursive sentences.

Common Mistakes With Cursive Letters

• Inconsistent slant. Letters that lean in different directions look messy even when each shape is correct.
• Lifting the pen mid-word. Lift only when a letter needs it, such as crossing a t or dotting an i, and do those after finishing the word.
• Closing the open letters. A closed loop in e can make it look like an i or an l.
• Forgetting the descender. Letters like g and y need a full dip below the line, or they read as other letters.
• Rushing the capitals. Capitals such as Q, G and Z look unusual, so practice them on their own.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cursive letters are there?

There are 26 letters, the same as the print alphabet. Each has a capital and a lowercase form, so there are 52 shapes in total to learn.

Which cursive letters are the hardest?

Most learners struggle with capital Q, G and Z, and with lowercase r, s and f. These letters have unusual shapes that do not match their print versions.

What is the easiest way to learn cursive letters?

Learn them in stroke families rather than alphabetical order. Start with simple undercurve letters like i, u and t, then move on to ovals, humps and tall loops.

Do all cursive letters connect?

Most lowercase letters connect to the next one, but many capitals do not join to the letter after them. Some teachers also lift the pen after letters like b, o, v and w, depending on the method.

Should I learn capital or lowercase cursive letters first?

Most teachers begin with lowercase letters because they make up nearly all of any text. Capitals come afterward, usually for names and the start of sentences.