Cursive D
How to write uppercase D and lowercase d in cursive, one stroke at a time.
Cursive d is an a with a tall stem. The oval is identical to a; the difference is that the stem rises toward the top line before retracing down. In the looped style the d stem is a plain retrace, not a loop, which is the quickest way to tell d from a badly written b or l.
- Stroke family
- Downcurve (oval) letters
- Height
- d is a tall letter — it reaches up to the top line. d and the other tall letters
- Joins the next letter
- Lowercase: yes, from the baseline. Capital: no — lift the pen. The baseline join d uses
How to write a lowercase d in cursive
Start at the midline; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. One continuous stroke.
- Start at the midline. Curve counter-clockwise down to the baseline and round back up to close the oval, exactly as for a.
- Continue the stroke straight up to just below the top line to form the stem.
- Retrace straight down the stem to the baseline and finish with an undercurve to the midline.
Lowercase cursive d
Capital cursive D — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
How to write a capital D in cursive
Start at the top line; finish at the top, with a small closing loop (pen lifts). Capital D does not join the next letter: finish it, lift the pen, and begin the next letter on its own. D beside the other capitals that need a pen lift
- Start at the top line and draw a slant stroke down to the baseline.
- At the bottom, make a small loop that swings to the left and back across the stem.
- Curve up and around to the right in one large arc that returns to the top of the stem, ending in a small loop near where you began.
Common mistakes with cursive D
- Looping the stem — a looped stem turns the d into a b-like shape; d uses a retrace.
- Leaving the oval open, so the letter reads as "cl".
- Making the stem too short, which makes d and a indistinguishable at a glance.
Tips that help
- Write "ad" and "da" side by side: the two letters share the same oval, so keep them the same size.
- The stem of d should reach about the same height as t — a little below the top line.
Practice words with d
Once the letter is comfortable on its own, write it inside words — that is where the joins happen. Watch how the exit tail of d rises to meet the next letter.
dog
day
dance
doodle
dream
Want different words? Type a spelling list into the generator and print your own d sheet (letters A–Z and numbers, up to 24 lines of any length, US Letter or A4), or copy more words that use d from the word lists.
Free cursive D worksheet
Capital D and lowercase d: 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 D practice sheet
Uppercase D · lowercase d · dog · day
Name ______________________ Date __________
Capital D
Lowercase d
Together
Words
On your own
cursivealphabet.pro — free cursive practice sheets
d and its stroke family
Downcurve (oval) letters begin at the midline with a counter-clockwise curve that rounds down and back up: a, d, g, o and q close the oval, c leaves it open. Master that curve once and you have six letters.
Families are also the order to learn in, rather than A to Z: the beginner’s guide covers when d is usually taught and the four strokes every letter is built from.
Cursive D questions
How do you write a lowercase d in cursive?
Make the oval of an a, then instead of a short stem, run the stroke up to just below the top line, retrace straight down to the baseline and exit with a tail. The stem is retraced, not looped.
How do you write a capital D in cursive?
Slant down from the top line, make a small loop at the baseline that crosses the stem, then sweep up and around in a big arc back to the top, finishing with a little loop. Capital D does not connect to the next letter.
Is cursive d looped like b?
No. In American looped cursive, b, f, h, k and l have looped stems; d and t have retraced stems. That is the main visual difference between d and b.
What are some good words to practise cursive d with?
Good practice words for cursive d are dog, day, dance, doodle and dream. Close the oval of d each time before you move on; an oval left open at speed is the usual way it stops reading as d. Watch the stem too: d rises above the midline but stops short of the top line, and comes straight back down the same line. The practice sheet on this page rules the first two, dog and day; the worksheet generator will rule the rest.
Cursive Alphabet — cursive D