Cursive I: how to write the letter I in cursive
The lowercase cursive i is a short undercurve and slant, with the dot added after the word is finished: in Zaner-Bloser terms, undercurve, slant, undercurve; dot. It belongs to the undercurve letters (start with a swing up from the baseline) and is one of the easier letters to learn. Below you will find the capital and lowercase I on three-line guides, stroke-by-stroke instructions, practice words, and a free printable worksheet in the same school cursive style.
Lowercase i at a glance
- Strokes
- 2 (undercurve, slant, undercurve; dot)
- Starts
- at the baseline
- Ends
- with an undercurve up to the midline
- Family
- undercurve letters
Capital I at a glance
- Strokes
- 1 (overcurve, curve down, curve up, curve right)
- Starts
- at the baseline
- Next letter
- stands alone: lift the pencil first
Capital cursive I
Lowercase cursive i
Free cursive I worksheet
Cursive I practice worksheet
1 page · US Letter, prints on A4 · free
Capital I and lowercase i to trace, copy and write on your own, plus four practice words (in, ice, ink, idea). Three-line guides, standard school cursive.
How to write a lowercase i in cursive
- Start at the baseline. Make an undercurve up to the midline.
- Slant down to the baseline, retracing the undercurve.
- Make an undercurve up to the midline to join the next letter.
- After the word is written, add the dot above the letter, halfway between the midline and the topline.
Tip: Write the whole word first, then go back to dot every i and cross every t. It keeps the writing flowing.
How to write a capital I in cursive
- Start at the baseline. Curve over to the topline and curve down to the baseline in one tall sweep.
- Curve up and curve right to finish at the midline. The capital I stands alone: lift the pencil before the next letter.
The capital I does not join the next letter. Lift the pencil after the I and start the next letter on the baseline.
Cursive words with the letter i
Practice the i inside real words so the joins become automatic. All of these appear on the worksheet.
Each of these words has its own page with the joins explained: see cursive words.
Common mistakes with the cursive I
- Dotting the i immediately, which forces a pencil lift in the middle of the word.
- Placing the dot too far to the right, over the next letter.
- Making the i as tall as a t.
Letters that use the same motion
The i is easier to master alongside letters that start the same way. Practice these together:
Cursive I questions
Does the capital I connect to the next letter in cursive?
No. The capital I is one of the few capitals that stands alone. Finish the I, lift the pencil, and start the next letter fresh on the baseline.
Where does the lowercase i end?
The lowercase i ends on the baseline with an upward exit stroke. The next letter starts from that stroke, which keeps the whole word connected.
Is the cursive I hard to learn?
The i is one of the easier letters of the cursive alphabet. Write the whole word first, then go back to dot every i and cross every t. It keeps the writing flowing.
Which cursive style is the I shown in?
The letters on this page and in the worksheet use the standard school cursive taught in most US classrooms (the Zaner-Bloser style). D'Nealian cursive differs slightly in slant and in a few capitals, but the strokes described here apply to both.