Cursive Y

How to write uppercase Y and lowercase y in cursive, one stroke at a time.

Cursive y is a u that drops below the line. Its top is the u-shape (or an overcurve followed by an undercurve), and its second stem continues down into a loop that swings to the left and returns through the baseline, exactly like g and j. The capital Y is the same shape scaled up to the top line.

Stroke family: Overcurve letters
Height: y is a descender letter — part of it drops below the baseline. y and the other descender letters
Joins the next letter: Lowercase: yes, from the baseline. Capital: yes. The baseline join y uses
Often confused with: cursive g, cursive u, cursive j

Print the Y practice sheet Stroke by stroke

Cursive Y and y: the pen path, drawn in order

How to write a lowercase y in cursive

Start at the baseline; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. One continuous stroke.

Start on the baseline with an overcurve that arches up and over to the midline.
Slant down to the baseline and undercurve back up to the midline.
Slant straight down through the baseline into the descender space.
Loop to the left at the bottom and come back up, crossing the stem at the baseline, then finish with an undercurve to the midline.

Lowercase cursive y

Capital cursive Y

How to write a capital Y in cursive

Start at the baseline; finish at the baseline, with an exit tail. Capital Y ends with an exit stroke, so it joins the lowercase letter that follows without lifting the pen. Y beside the other capitals that join

Start on the baseline with an overcurve that rises to the top line.
Slant down to the baseline and undercurve back up to the top line.
Slant straight down through the baseline into the descender space.
Loop to the left and come back up, crossing at the baseline, then finish with an undercurve to the midline.

How to write cursive Y: the pen path for uppercase Y and lowercase y with direction arrows on ruled paper — Cursive Y pen path — arrows show the direction the pen travels.

Cursive Y: uppercase Y and lowercase y on ruled paper — Cursive Y and y — blue top line, dashed midline, red baseline.

Common mistakes with cursive Y

Looping to the right, which produces a shape closer to a backward f.
Making the top too pointed — the bowl of y is rounded like u.
Letting the loop cross above the baseline so the next letter starts too high.

Tips that help

Write "uy" together: they start identically and only the descender differs.
The loop should be the same depth as the g loop so "gy" and "yg" line up.

The pen path on this page is traced from the letterform automatically, and for y the trace did not come out as the single continuous stroke it is taught with — so the drawing shows the path in one colour, without numbers or arrows, rather than claiming a stroke order it cannot verify.

Practice words with y

Once the letter is comfortable on its own, write it inside words — that is where the joins happen. Watch how the exit tail of y rises to meet the next letter.

yes

yak

yellow

yoyo

yesterday

Want different words? Type a spelling list into the generator and print your own y sheet (letters A–Z and numbers, up to 24 lines of any length, US Letter or A4), or copy more words that use y from the word lists.

Free cursive Y worksheet

Capital Y and lowercase y: 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.

Prints on one US Letterpage. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog to download.

Cursive Y practice sheet

Uppercase Y · lowercase y · yes · yak

Name ______________________ Date __________

Capital Y

Lowercase y

Together

Words

On your own

cursivealphabet.pro — free cursive practice sheets

y and its stroke family

Overcurve letters begin with an arch that comes over the top from the left: m, n, v, x, y and z. The hump is the whole skill — keep it round, not pointed.

Families are also the order to learn in, rather than A to Z: the beginner’s guide covers when y is usually taught and the four strokes every letter is built from.

← Cursive X Cursive Z →Y in the whole alphabet

Cursive Y questions

How do you write a lowercase y in cursive?

Overcurve to the midline, slant down and undercurve back up like a u, then slant straight down below the baseline, loop to the left, come back up through the baseline and exit with a tail.

How do you write a capital Y in cursive?

It is the lowercase y enlarged: overcurve to the top line, slant down and back up to the top line, then a straight descender that loops left and returns through the baseline with a tail. Capital Y connects to the next letter.

What is the difference between cursive y and cursive g?

Their descenders are the same, but the top differs: g has a closed oval, y has an open u-shape. If the top is round and closed, it is g; if it is a bowl with two stems, it is y.

What are some good words to practise cursive y with?

Good practice words for cursive y are yes, yak, yellow, yoyo and yesterday. Keep the arch of y rounded as the word speeds up; the top of an overcurve is the first thing to turn into a point. Watch the tail too: y 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, yes and yak; the worksheet generator will rule the rest.