Cursive S
How to write uppercase S and lowercase s in cursive, one stroke at a time.
Cursive s looks nothing like the printed s. It rises in an undercurve like i, curves back down to the left in a small closed shape, and touches its own starting point on the baseline before exiting. Once you stop looking for a printed S in it, it becomes easy. The capital S is a tall loop with a curve that crosses the stem near the baseline.
- Stroke family
- Undercurve letters
- Height
- s is a short letter — it stays between the baseline and the midline. s and the other short letters
- Joins the next letter
- Lowercase: yes, from the baseline. Capital: no — lift the pen. The baseline join s uses
How to write a lowercase s in cursive
Start at the baseline; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. One continuous stroke.
- Start on the baseline with an undercurve up to the midline.
- At the midline, curve back to the left and down, rounding out slightly to the right as you drop.
- Bring the stroke back to touch the baseline where you started, closing the shape.
- Finish with an undercurve to the midline.
Lowercase cursive s
Capital cursive S — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
How to write a capital S in cursive
Start at the baseline; finish at the baseline (pen lifts). Capital S does not join the next letter: finish it, lift the pen, and begin the next letter on its own. S beside the other capitals that need a pen lift
- Start on the baseline with an undercurve that rises to the top line.
- Loop over to the left at the top and curve down to the right, then back to the left toward the baseline.
- Near the baseline, cross over your rising stroke and finish with a small curl to the left.
Common mistakes with cursive S
- Making the s too tall — it is a midline letter, the same height as i.
- Leaving the bottom open so the shape does not close on the baseline; it then reads as a badly formed r.
- Drawing a printed S with joins added, which throws off the slant of the whole word.
Tips that help
- Say "up, back, close, out" — four beats, one stroke.
- Practise "ss" and "is": after i the s starts from the tail, and doubling it shows whether your two s's match.
Practice words with s
Once the letter is comfortable on its own, write it inside words — that is where the joins happen. Watch how the exit tail of s rises to meet the next letter.
sun
sea
smile
silly
summer
Want different words? Type a spelling list into the generator and print your own s sheet (letters A–Z and numbers, up to 24 lines of any length, US Letter or A4), or copy more words that use s from the word lists.
Free cursive S worksheet
Capital S and lowercase s: 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 S practice sheet
Uppercase S · lowercase s · sun · sea
Name ______________________ Date __________
Capital S
Lowercase s
Together
Words
On your own
cursivealphabet.pro — free cursive practice sheets
s 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 s is usually taught and the four strokes every letter is built from.
Cursive S questions
How do you write a lowercase s in cursive?
Undercurve up to the midline, curve back down to the left in a small rounded shape, touch the baseline at your starting point to close it, and exit with a tail. Cursive s does not look like the printed s.
How do you write a capital S in cursive?
Undercurve from the baseline to the top line, loop over, curve down to the right and back toward the baseline, crossing your first stroke near the bottom, and finish with a small curl. Capital S does not connect to the next letter.
Why does cursive s look different from printed s?
Because it is built from the same undercurve as i so it can be written without lifting the pen. The closed shape at the baseline is what remains of the printed s's lower curve.
What are some good words to practise cursive s with?
Good practice words for cursive s are sun, sea, smile, silly and summer. The join is what to watch: the undercurve out of s has to reach the baseline before the next letter starts, or the two run together. Watch the height too: s should stop at the midline, level with the short letters either side of it. The practice sheet on this page rules the first two, sun and sea; the worksheet generator will rule the rest.
Cursive Alphabet — cursive S