Cursive P
How to write uppercase P and lowercase p in cursive, one stroke at a time.
Cursive p begins like i, drops a stem below the baseline, then comes back up to draw its bowl. Below the line its stem makes a narrow loop that swings left and comes back up; the bowl on top is what tells p apart from j. The capital P is a stem with a single bowl and, like B and D, does not connect to the letter after it.
- Stroke family
- Undercurve letters
- Height
- p is a descender letter — part of it drops below the baseline. p and the other descender letters
- Joins the next letter
- Lowercase: yes, from the baseline. Capital: no — lift the pen. The baseline join p uses
How to write a lowercase p in cursive
Start just below the midline; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. One continuous stroke.
- Start just below the midline; in a word, the joining stroke from the letter before brings you there.
- Slant straight down through the baseline into the descender space.
- Loop narrowly to the left at the bottom, come back up to the baseline, and carry straight on up the stem.
- Curve over to the right and round down to form the bowl, hooking in toward the stem at the baseline, then finish with an undercurve to the midline.
Trace cursive p 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 p — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
Capital cursive P — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
How to write a capital P in cursive
Start at the top of the stem; finish at the midline, beside the stem (pen lifts). Capital P does not join the next letter: finish it, lift the pen, and begin the next letter on its own. P beside the other capitals that need a pen lift
- Start just below the top line and draw a slant stroke down to the baseline, curling to the left at the bottom.
- Lift the pen. Start the bowl at the midline, just left of the stem, and swing left and up to the top line.
- Curve out to the right and round down to the midline, bringing the bowl back toward the stem.
Common mistakes with cursive P
- Letting the descender loop grow wide — it should stay slim, or the p turns into a j with a bowl.
- Making the bowl too small or leaving it open, so it reads as an n.
- Starting the bowl too low on the stem; it should rise to the height of the other short letters.
Tips that help
- Say "up, down, up, around" — that is the full stroke order.
- The descender of p is as deep as the loop of g, but much narrower.
Practice words with p
Once the letter is comfortable on its own, write it inside words — that is where the joins happen. Watch how the exit tail of p rises to meet the next letter.
Want different words? Type a spelling list into the generator and print your own p sheet (letters A–Z and numbers, up to 24 lines of any length, US Letter or A4), or copy more words that use p from the word lists.
Free cursive P worksheet
Capital P and lowercase p: 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 P practice sheet
Uppercase P · lowercase p · pen · pig
Name ______________________ Date __________
Capital P
Lowercase p
Together
Words
On your own
cursivealphabet.pro — free cursive practice sheets
p 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 p is usually taught and the four strokes every letter is built from.
Cursive P questions
How do you write a lowercase p in cursive?
Undercurve to the midline, slant straight down below the baseline, loop narrowly to the left and come back up the stem, then curve around to the right to draw the bowl down to the baseline and exit with a tail.
How do you write a capital P in cursive?
Draw a stem from the top line down to the baseline, lift the pen, then draw the bowl: from the midline beside the stem, up over the top line and round to the right, back toward the stem at the midline. Capital P does not connect to the next letter.
Does cursive p have a loop below the line?
A narrow one. In these letterforms the p stem loops to the left below the baseline and comes back up before the bowl. Many classroom programs retrace it as a straight line instead; either way it should stay slim, so the p is not mistaken for a j.
What are some good words to practise cursive p with?
Good practice words for cursive p are pen, pig, paper, purple and puppy. The join is what to watch: the undercurve out of p has to reach the baseline before the next letter starts, or the two run together. Watch the tail too: p 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, pen and pig; the worksheet generator will rule the rest.
Cursive Alphabet — cursive P