Cursive U: how to write the letter U in cursive
The lowercase cursive u is two undercurves side by side, the opposite motion of the n: in Zaner-Bloser terms, undercurve, slant, undercurve, slant, undercurve. 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 U on three-line guides, stroke-by-stroke instructions, practice words, and a free printable worksheet in the same school cursive style.
Lowercase u at a glance
- Strokes
- 1 (undercurve, slant, undercurve, slant, undercurve)
- Starts
- at the baseline
- Ends
- with an undercurve up to the midline
- Family
- undercurve letters
Capital U at a glance
- Strokes
- 1 (curve forward, slant, undercurve, slant, undercurve)
- Starts
- at the baseline
- Next letter
- joins without lifting the pencil
Capital cursive U
Lowercase cursive u
Free cursive U worksheet
Cursive U practice worksheet
1 page · US Letter, prints on A4 · free
Capital U and lowercase u to trace, copy and write on your own, plus four practice words (up, use, under, uncle). Three-line guides, standard school cursive.
How to write a lowercase u in cursive
- Start at the baseline. Make an undercurve up to the midline and slant down to the baseline.
- Make an undercurve up to the midline again and slant down to the baseline.
- Make an undercurve up to the midline to join the next letter.
Tip: A u is just two i strokes joined together. If your i is good, your u will be too.
How to write a capital U in cursive
- Start at the baseline. Curve forward to the topline and slant down to the baseline.
- Make an undercurve up to the topline and slant down again.
- Make an undercurve up to the midline. The capital U joins the next letter.
The capital U joins the next letter, so names and sentence openers are written in one motion.
Cursive words with the letter u
Practice the u 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 U
- Rounding the bottoms so much that the u looks like a pair of o halves.
- Confusing u with n: u dips down first, n goes over the top first.
Letters that use the same motion
The u is easier to master alongside letters that start the same way. Practice these together:
Cursive U questions
Does the capital U connect to the next letter in cursive?
Yes. In standard school cursive the capital U ends with an exit stroke that joins the next letter, so a word like "Up" is written without lifting the pencil.
Where does the lowercase u end?
The lowercase u 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 U hard to learn?
The u is one of the easier letters of the cursive alphabet. A u is just two i strokes joined together. If your i is good, your u will be too.
Which cursive style is the U 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.