Cursive G
How to write uppercase G and lowercase g in cursive, one stroke at a time.
Cursive g is an a that drops below the line. Its top half is the same oval as a; instead of stopping at the baseline, the stem continues down into a loop that swings to the left and comes back up to the stem. The capital G is one of the harder capitals, a tall C-like curve with a stem that drops into a loop below the line.
- Stroke family
- Downcurve (oval) letters
- Height
- g is a descender letter — part of it drops below the baseline. g and the other descender letters
- Joins the next letter
- Lowercase: yes, from the baseline. Capital: yes. The baseline join g uses
How to write a lowercase g 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 the right side, just as for a.
- Retrace down the right side of the oval and keep going past the baseline into the descender space.
- At the bottom, loop to the left and swing back up to meet the stem just below the baseline.
- Finish with an undercurve to the midline.
Trace cursive g 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 g — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
Capital cursive G — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
How to write a capital G in cursive
Start just below the top line, on the right; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. Capital G ends with an exit stroke, so it joins the lowercase letter that follows without lifting the pen. G beside the other capitals that join
- Start just below the top line on the right with a small hook, then sweep up and over to the left, like the top of a large C.
- Curve down the left side (counter-clockwise) to the baseline and round along the bottom.
- Rise up the right side to the midline, then drop the stem straight down through the baseline into the descender space.
- Loop to the left below the line, come back up to cross the stem, and finish with an undercurve.
Common mistakes with cursive G
- Leaving the oval open, which makes g look like a y.
- Looping to the right instead of the left, so the tail collides with the next letter.
- Letting the loop cross far below or above the baseline; keep the crossing close under the line so the word stays level.
Tips that help
- The loop should be about as deep as the oval is tall — roughly one midline-space below the baseline.
- Write "go" and "ga" to practise the exit: the tail must rise all the way to the midline after the loop.
Easy to mistake for q, z or y
Identical above the baseline. Below it, the loop of g swings out to the LEFT of the stem; the loop of q bulges to the RIGHT. Cursive q
Below the line they match. Above it, g is a closed oval; z is a small zigzag with no oval at all. Cursive z
g begins with a closed oval; y begins with an open cup, like a u, before it drops below the line. Cursive y
Can you tell g from q at a glance? Take the reading test · Print a comparison practice sheet
Cursive G, 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.
“Y’all be talking about the Q BUT LOOK AT THE G LIKE-”
In today’s school styles
- Zaner-Bloser's capital G ends with a horizontal stroke, the same finish as B, F, I, S and T.
From Cursive Workshop’s letter-by-letter comparison.
Which one to use
Neither is wrong. The Palmer form stays on the baseline, so it doesn’t run into the line underneath — useful in small, tight writing. The looped-below form is the one to learn if you want your G to match the lowercase g.
Where Palmer, Zaner-Bloser and D’Nealian came from, and how their letters differ
Practice words with g
Once the letter is comfortable on its own, write it inside words — that is where the joins happen. Watch how the exit tail of g rises to meet the next letter.
Want different words? Type a spelling list into the generator and print your own g sheet (letters A–Z and numbers, up to 24 lines of any length, US Letter or A4), or copy more words that use g from the word lists.
Free cursive G worksheet
Capital G and lowercase g: 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 G practice sheet
Uppercase G · lowercase g · go · game
Name ______________________ Date __________
Capital G
Lowercase g
Together
Words
On your own
cursivealphabet.pro — free cursive practice sheets
g 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 g is usually taught and the four strokes every letter is built from.
Cursive G questions
How do you write a lowercase g in cursive?
Make the oval of an a, retrace down the right side, continue below the baseline, loop to the left and come back up to the stem just below the baseline, then exit with a tail. Think of it as an a with a tail hanging under it.
How do you write a capital G in cursive?
Start near the top on the right with a small hook, sweep over and down the left side like a large C, round the bottom, come up the right side to the midline and drop a stem below the baseline into a loop that swings left and comes back up, then exit with a tail. The stem and its loop are what make it a G rather than a C.
What is the difference between cursive g and cursive q?
Both start with the same oval, but g's lower loop swings to the left and q's swings to the right. If you remember that q is the mirror of g below the line, you will not mix them up.
What are some good words to practise cursive g with?
Good practice words for cursive g are go, game, giant, garden and giggle. Close the oval of g each time before you move on; an oval left open at speed is the usual way it stops reading as g. Watch the tail too: g 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, go and game; the worksheet generator will rule the rest.
Cursive Alphabet — cursive G