Cursive T
How to write uppercase T and lowercase t in cursive, one stroke at a time.
Cursive t is an i that grows taller and gets a crossbar. The stem rises to just below the top line and comes back down in a narrow loop, much slimmer and shorter than the loop of l. The bar is added after the word, together with the dots on i and j. The capital T is a curled top stroke over a slanted stem.
- Stroke family
- Undercurve letters
- Height
- t is a tall letter — it reaches up to the top line. t and the other tall letters
- Joins the next letter
- Lowercase: yes, from the baseline. Capital: no — lift the pen. The baseline join t uses
How to write a lowercase t in cursive
Start halfway up to the midline; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. One continuous stroke, plus the crossbar.
- Start about halfway up to the midline with an upstroke that rises to just below the top line.
- Loop narrowly over to the left and come straight back down to the baseline.
- Finish with an undercurve to the midline.
- After the word, add a short crossbar through the stem, about two-thirds of the way up.
Trace cursive t 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 t — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
Capital cursive T — numbers mark where each part of the stroke begins
How to write a capital T in cursive
Start on the left, with a small curl; finish at the baseline (pen lifts). Capital T does not join the next letter: finish it, lift the pen, and begin the next letter on its own. T beside the other capitals that need a pen lift
- Draw the top: begin with a curl on the left and carry the stroke along the top line to the right.
- Lift the pen. Start just above the middle of the top stroke and draw a slightly curved slant down to the baseline, finishing with a small curl.
Common mistakes with cursive T
- Making the loop as wide and tall as an l, which makes an l with a bar through it.
- Taking the stem all the way to the top line — t stops a little short, so it stands slightly lower than l and b.
- Crossing the t as you write instead of at the end of the word.
Tips that help
- Cross all your t's in one sweep after the word, left to right, about two-thirds of the way up.
- "tt" can share one long crossbar — practise "little" and "butter".
Easy to mistake for F
The same wavy top and the same stem. F has a short bar across the stem halfway down; T has nothing there. Cursive F
Can you tell T from F at a glance? Take the reading test · Print a comparison practice sheet
Cursive T, 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.
“Tysm ❤ but doesn't capital i and capital t look the same ? What should I do to prevent that?”
In today’s school styles
- Zaner-Bloser's capital T ends with a horizontal stroke, the same finish as B, F, G, I and S.
From Cursive Workshop’s letter-by-letter comparison.
Which one to use
Keep the top stroke long and level so it spans the stem on both sides. A T whose top shrinks into a curl is the T that gets read as an I.
Where Palmer, Zaner-Bloser and D’Nealian came from, and how their letters differ
Practice words with t
Once the letter is comfortable on its own, write it inside words — that is where the joins happen. Watch how the exit tail of t rises to meet the next letter.
Want different words? Type a spelling list into the generator and print your own t sheet (letters A–Z and numbers, up to 24 lines of any length, US Letter or A4), or copy more words that use t from the word lists.
Free cursive T worksheet
Capital T and lowercase t: 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 T practice sheet
Uppercase T · lowercase t · tea · top
Name ______________________ Date __________
Capital T
Lowercase t
Together
Words
On your own
cursivealphabet.pro — free cursive practice sheets
t 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 t is usually taught and the four strokes every letter is built from.
Cursive T questions
How do you write a lowercase t in cursive?
Undercurve up to just below the top line, loop narrowly and come straight back down to the baseline, exit with a tail, and add a crossbar about two-thirds of the way up after the word is finished.
How do you write a capital T in cursive?
Draw the curled top stroke along the top line, lift the pen, and draw a slanted stem from just above its middle down to the baseline. Capital T does not connect to the next letter; lift the pen and begin the next letter separately.
How tall is cursive t?
Taller than the midline but a little shorter than l, b and h. It stops just below the top line, which is why a t and an l next to each other are not the same height.
What are some good words to practise cursive t with?
Good practice words for cursive t are tea, top, tiger, table and turtle. The join is what to watch: the undercurve out of t has to reach the baseline before the next letter starts, or the two run together. Watch the stem too: t rises above the midline but stops short of the top line, and comes straight back down the same line. The practice sheet on this page rules the first two, tea and top; the worksheet generator will rule the rest.
Cursive Alphabet — cursive T