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, comes down in a small rounded shape, and hooks back to the left at the baseline before exiting. Once you stop looking for a printed S in it, it becomes easy. The capital S stays closer to the printed shape: two wide curves, one above the other.
- 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 halfway up to the midline; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. One continuous stroke.
- Start about halfway up to the midline with an undercurve up to the midline.
- From the point at the midline, come down the right side, rounding out slightly to the right as you drop.
- At the baseline, hook back a short way to the left, then come back over the hook.
- Finish with an undercurve to the midline.
Trace cursive s 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 s — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
Capital cursive S — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
How to write a capital S in cursive
Start just below the top line, on the right; 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 just below the top line on the right with a small hook, and curve up and over to the left.
- Come down the left side, then cross the middle of the letter to the right.
- Round the lower bowl down to the baseline and run back along it to the left, where the letter ends.
Common mistakes with cursive S
- Making the s too tall — it is a midline letter, the same height as i.
- Leaving out the small hook back to the left at the baseline; without it the s 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, down, hook, 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.
Easy to mistake for L or r
L has a stem: a small curl at the top, a straight stroke down, and a loop on the baseline. S has no stem — it sweeps over the top and curves back across the middle. Cursive L
s rises to a point and closes into a small round bottom. r makes a small loop at the top, takes a short flat step to the right, and only then comes down. Cursive r
Can you tell S from L at a glance? Take the reading test · Print a comparison practice sheet
Cursive S, 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.
In today’s school styles
- Zaner-Bloser's capital S ends with a horizontal stroke, the same finish as B, F, G, I and T.
From Cursive Workshop’s letter-by-letter comparison.
Which one to use
Both read as S. The Palmer form is the one you may meet in older letters and family documents: a tall, thin loop over a wide oval on the line is an S.
Where Palmer, Zaner-Bloser and D’Nealian came from, and how their letters differ
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.
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, come down the right side in a small rounded shape, hook back to the left at the baseline, and exit with a tail. Cursive s does not look like the printed s.
How do you write a capital S in cursive?
Start at the top right with a small hook, curve over and down the left side, cross the middle to the right, and round the lower bowl back along the baseline to the left. 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 small hook 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