Cursive K
How to write uppercase K and lowercase k in cursive, one stroke at a time.
Cursive k is a tall, plain stem with a small knot at the midline and a leg that kicks down to the baseline. The knot is the part people find fiddly; it is a small curl drawn clockwise, and once it is the right size the rest of the letter falls into place. The capital K is a stem with a looped arm and leg beside it.
- Stroke family
- Undercurve letters
- Height
- k is a tall letter — it reaches up to the top line. k and the other tall letters
- Joins the next letter
- Lowercase: yes, from the baseline. Capital: yes. The baseline join k uses
How to write a lowercase k in cursive
Start at the top line; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. One continuous stroke.
- Start at the top line: k has no loop at the top, just a tall stem.
- Draw the stem straight down to just above the baseline.
- From the foot of the stem, overcurve back up to the midline and make a small clockwise curl — the knot — that turns back toward the stem.
- From the knot, slant down and slightly to the right to the baseline and finish with an undercurve to the midline.
Trace cursive k 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 k — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
Capital cursive K — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
How to write a capital K in cursive
Start on the left, with a small curl; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. Capital K ends with an exit stroke, so it joins the lowercase letter that follows without lifting the pen. K beside the other capitals that join
- Start on the left with a small curl, rise to the top line and run along it to a small loop, then come down the stem to the baseline, curving to the left at the bottom.
- Lift the pen. Start the second stroke at the top line to the right of the stem and curve in toward the stem, meeting it at the midline with a small loop.
- From the loop, slant down and out to the baseline and finish with an undercurve to the midline.
Common mistakes with cursive K
- Making the knot too large, so the k reads as an h with a bump.
- Skipping the knot entirely, which leaves an h.
- Letting the leg swing out too far; it should land about as far from the stem as the knot is wide.
Tips that help
- Practise the knot on its own first: a small clockwise curl at the midline that turns back toward a vertical line.
- Compare k and h side by side: h has a loop at the top and a round hump, k a plain stem and a knot.
Cursive k, 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.
“Also please help me choose which lowercase “k” to use lol.”
Which one to use
A looped k shares its stem with l and h, so the knot has to be clear; a plain stem keeps k distinct even when the knot comes out small. Pick one and use it for every k.
Where Palmer, Zaner-Bloser and D’Nealian came from, and how their letters differ
Practice words with k
Once the letter is comfortable on its own, write it inside words — that is where the joins happen. Watch how the exit tail of k rises to meet the next letter.
Want different words? Type a spelling list into the generator and print your own k sheet (letters A–Z and numbers, up to 24 lines of any length, US Letter or A4), or copy more words that use k from the word lists.
k is among the least common letters in English, so it rarely comes up by chance. A pangram puts k into every line you write, which is the quickest way to keep it in practice.
Free cursive K worksheet
Capital K and lowercase k: 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 K practice sheet
Uppercase K · lowercase k · kite · key
Name ______________________ Date __________
Capital K
Lowercase k
Together
Words
On your own
cursivealphabet.pro — free cursive practice sheets
k 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 k is usually taught and the four strokes every letter is built from.
Cursive K questions
How do you write a lowercase k in cursive?
Draw a tall stem from the top line down to the baseline, then come back up to the midline, make a small clockwise curl back toward the stem, and kick a leg down to the baseline before exiting with a tail.
How do you write a capital K in cursive?
Draw the stem with its curl and top loop down to the baseline, lift the pen, then draw an arm from the top that meets the stem in a small loop at the midline and continues as a leg down to the baseline, ending with a tail. Capital K connects to the next letter.
What is the little loop in cursive k?
It is the knot that replaces the sharp angle of the printed k. It is drawn as a small clockwise curl at the midline that turns back toward the stem, and it is what separates k from h.
What are some good words to practise cursive k with?
Good practice words for cursive k are kite, key, kitten, kind and kingdom. The join is what to watch: the undercurve out of k has to reach the baseline before the next letter starts, or the two run together. Watch the loop too: k 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, kite and key; the worksheet generator will rule the rest.
Cursive Alphabet — cursive K