Cursive F
How to write uppercase F and lowercase f in cursive, one stroke at a time.
Cursive f is the only lowercase letter that touches both the top line and the descender line, with a loop at each end. The upper loop is the same as l; the lower loop turns the opposite way and closes on the baseline. The capital F is a T with a crossbar through its middle.
- Stroke family
- Undercurve letters
- Height
- f is a descender letter — part of it drops below the baseline. f and the other descender letters
- Joins the next letter
- Lowercase: yes, from the baseline. Capital: no — lift the pen. The baseline join f uses
How to write a lowercase f in cursive
Start just below the midline, on the stem; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. One continuous stroke.
- Start just below the midline, on the stem, with an upstroke to the top line and loop over to the left, exactly like l.
- Slant straight down through the baseline into the descender space.
- At the bottom, loop back up on the right side of the stem, closing the lower loop just below the baseline.
- Exit with an undercurve to the midline.
Trace cursive f 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 f — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
Capital cursive F — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
How to write a capital F in cursive
Start on the left, with a small curl; finish at the baseline (pen lifts). Capital F does not join the next letter: finish it, lift the pen, and begin the next letter on its own. F beside the other capitals that need a pen lift
- Start on the left with a small curl, rise to the top line and draw the top to the right, finishing in a small loop.
- Out of the loop, come down the stem in a slightly curved slant to the baseline, finishing with a curl to the left.
- Lift the pen and add a short crossbar through the middle of the stem, at the midline.
Common mistakes with cursive F
- Making the lower loop turn to the left like g — the f loop turns to the right so it can close on the baseline.
- Cutting the upper loop short; f should reach the top line just like l and b.
- Forgetting the crossbar on capital F, which leaves you with a capital T.
Tips that help
- Think "l on top, backward g below": that is the whole letter.
- Keep the stem straight and slanted; if it bows, the two loops drift out of line.
Easy to mistake for T
The same wavy top and the same stem. F has a short bar across the stem halfway down; T has nothing there. Cursive T
Can you tell T from F at a glance? Take the reading test · Print a comparison practice sheet
Cursive F, 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.
“Most of the time, I see the letter rendered as if it’s a capital “T” with delusions of grandeur.”
In today’s school styles
- Zaner-Bloser's capital F ends with a horizontal stroke, the same finish as B, G, I, S and T.
From Cursive Workshop’s letter-by-letter comparison.
Which one to use
In the style on this site, the crossbar is the only thing that separates F from T. Whatever top you use, make the crossbar clearly cross the stem — a tick that only touches it is where F starts reading as T.
Where Palmer, Zaner-Bloser and D’Nealian came from, and how their letters differ
Practice words with f
Once the letter is comfortable on its own, write it inside words — that is where the joins happen. Watch how the exit tail of f rises to meet the next letter.
Want different words? Type a spelling list into the generator and print your own f sheet (letters A–Z and numbers, up to 24 lines of any length, US Letter or A4), or copy more words that use f from the word lists.
Free cursive F worksheet
Capital F and lowercase f: 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 F practice sheet
Uppercase F · lowercase f · fun · fish
Name ______________________ Date __________
Capital F
Lowercase f
Together
Words
On your own
cursivealphabet.pro — free cursive practice sheets
f 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 f is usually taught and the four strokes every letter is built from.
Cursive F questions
How do you write a lowercase f in cursive?
Undercurve to the top line and loop like an l, slant down past the baseline into the descender space, loop back up on the right so the loop closes at the baseline, then exit with a tail. It has a loop above and a loop below.
How do you write a capital F in cursive?
Draw the top stroke with a curl on the left and a small loop on the right, bring the stem down out of the loop to the baseline, then lift the pen and add a crossbar through the middle. Capital F does not connect to the next letter.
Which way does the bottom loop of cursive f go?
To the right. The lower loop swings out to the right of the stem and back so it closes on the baseline. The loops of g, j, y and z swing to the left.
What are some good words to practise cursive f with?
Good practice words for cursive f are fun, fish, forest, friend and flower. The join is what to watch: the undercurve out of f has to reach the baseline before the next letter starts, or the two run together. Watch the tail too: f should drop a full space below the baseline and come back up without cutting into the next letter. The practice sheet on this page rules the first two, fun and fish; the worksheet generator will rule the rest.
Cursive Alphabet — cursive F