Cursive B
How to write uppercase B and lowercase b in cursive, one stroke at a time.
Cursive b is a tall loop letter and one of the four "bridge" letters, along with o, v and w. It begins like an l, then finishes at the midline instead of the baseline, so the joining stroke to the next letter is a short level bridge. The capital B keeps the two bowls of the printed letter but is drawn with loops rather than corners.
- Stroke family
- Undercurve letters
- Height
- b is a tall letter — it reaches up to the top line. b and the other tall letters
- Joins the next letter
- Lowercase: yes, from the midline (bridge). Capital: no — lift the pen. The bridge join b uses
How to write a lowercase b in cursive
Start just below the midline, on the stem; finish at the midline, with a short bridge stroke. One continuous stroke.
- Start just below the midline, on the stem, with an upstroke that rises all the way to the top line.
- Loop over to the left at the top and slant straight down through your rising stroke to the baseline.
- Round the bottom and rise to the midline, curl back in to the left, then retrace the curl and swing out in a short bridge that points toward the next letter.
Trace cursive b on screen with a finger or mouse — the board tells you if you start in the wrong place or go the wrong way.
Lowercase cursive b — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
Capital cursive B — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
How to write a capital B in cursive
Start at the top of the stem; finish at the baseline, with a small curl tucked in (pen lifts). Capital B does not join the next letter: finish it, lift the pen, and begin the next letter on its own. B beside the other capitals that need a pen lift
- Start at the top line and draw a slant stroke straight down to the baseline.
- At the baseline, swing round to the left and up in one wide curve back to the top, then curve out to the right to form the upper bowl, coming in to the middle of the letter at the midline.
- Without stopping, go back out along the middle stroke, swing round the larger lower bowl to the baseline and finish with a small curl that tucks in toward the middle.
Common mistakes with cursive B
- Making the upper loop too narrow — it should be a clear open loop, not a retraced line, or the b looks like a squashed l.
- Dropping the exit stroke to the baseline; a b must end at the midline or the bridge to the next letter disappears.
- Drawing capital B's two bowls the same size — the lower bowl is always larger.
Tips that help
- Practice the pair "bl" and "bo" together: the bridge from b lands on the next letter at the midline, so letters that start at the midline are the easiest partners.
- The loop of b should take up the full space between the midline and the top line.
Cursive b, then and now
If you learned cursive from an older relative, or you are reading old handwriting, you may know this letter from the Palmer Method, the business hand that Zaner-Bloser eventually replaced in American schools. Here are the two side by side.
Palmer letters from A. N. Palmer’s The Palmer Method of Business Writing, a public-domain scan on Wikimedia Commons.
“Some of the letters in Palmer are not what I remember doing, specifically the letters b, r, and s.”
Which one to use
Whichever loop you use, keep the finish: b is a bridge letter, so its exit leaves from the midline and the letter after it starts up there, not on the baseline.
Where Palmer, Zaner-Bloser and D’Nealian came from, and how their letters differ
Practice words with b
Once the letter is comfortable on its own, write it inside words — that is where the joins happen. Because b is a bridge letter, watch how the letter after it starts from the midline.
Want different words? Type a spelling list into the generator and print your own b sheet (letters A–Z and numbers, up to 24 lines of any length, US Letter or A4), or copy more words that use b from the word lists.
Free cursive B worksheet
Capital B and lowercase b: a model to copy, grey letters to write over, dotted letters to trace, two practice words, and blank rows to finish on your own. Prints on one US Letter page.
Cursive B practice sheet
Uppercase B · lowercase b · ball · blue
Name ______________________ Date __________
Capital B
Lowercase b
Together
Words
On your own
cursivealphabet.pro — free cursive practice sheets
b and its stroke family
Undercurve letters begin with a stroke that swings up from the baseline: i, u, w, t, j, p, r, s, e, l, b, h, k and f. Learn i and u first — every other letter in the group is built on that same entry stroke.
Families are also the order to learn in, rather than A to Z: the beginner’s guide covers when b is usually taught and the four strokes every letter is built from.
Cursive B questions
How do you write a lowercase b in cursive?
Undercurve from the baseline up to the top line, loop over and slant down to the baseline, then undercurve back up to the midline and end with a short level bridge. Unlike most letters, b finishes high, at the midline.
Why does cursive b end at the midline?
Because it is a bridge letter. Its exit stroke stays at the midline so the next letter begins from there; the same rule applies to o, v and w. Letters after a bridge, such as the e in "be", start slightly differently than after a baseline letter.
Does cursive capital B connect to the next letter?
No. Capital B ends with a small curl at the bottom of its lower bowl, and you lift the pen before writing the next letter.
What are some good words to practise cursive b with?
Good practice words for cursive b are ball, blue, bright, bubble and because. The join is what to watch: b hands over at the midline, not the baseline, so the letter after it starts up there. Watch the loop too: b should reach the top line and come back down on the same slant as the rest of the word. The practice sheet on this page rules the first two, ball and blue; the worksheet generator will rule the rest.
Cursive Alphabet — cursive B